Women Running for Public Office in California Face Disproportionate Hostility, Mental Health Impacts Study Finds

SACRAMENTO – California Women’s List released a first of its kind report on the state’s political culture today analyzing the experiences of candidates who are running for office. The report, Her Stories on the Campaign Trail: Analyzing the Mental Health Impacts of Hostility Women Face Pursuing Political Office in California, found that 65% of women surveyed experienced harassment during their campaigns, compared to 50% of surveyed men. Read the report here.

California Controller Malia Cohen, Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman, former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, California Women’s List President Marissa Roy and California Women’s List Board Member Camille Cruz Zapata announced the report’s findings, shedding light on the invisible barriers of hostility and related mental health impacts that far too many women candidates face when running for office in California. The speakers emphasized the need for reforms and resources to ensure that women continue to run for public office while confronting the negative impacts of current political culture. 

“Unfortunately these findings are not surprising. These women show incredible strength to persevere through disproportionate adversity and hostility in service of their communities. Volunteering to represent and uplift one's community should not come with threats and intimidation. Together, we demand that this be addressed,” said California State Controller Malia Cohen.

Researchers surveyed more than 100 people of various gender identities who ran for office in California between 2016-2022. The findings are troubling. The hostility that women face on the campaign trail is contributing to serious mental health symptoms. Over half of women surveyed reported frequent or very frequent fatigue or loss of energy (64.1%), sleep disturbance (65.38%), or excessive anxiety or worry (50%). And 43.59% of women experienced recurrent, unexpected panic attacks. The consequences of hostility can be far-reaching in some cases with nearly half of women reporting having had to change their campaign strategies due to concerns about their safety and well-being.

California Women’s List rejects the status quo political culture. In partnership with researchers, political leaders and advocates, the report offers recommendations to support candidates’ mental health and well-being while running for office. 

Recommendations include:

• Changing state law to allow campaign funds to cover mental health services

• Empowering the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) with authority over campaign tactics that lead to harassment, threats and mistreatment of candidates.

• Holding social media companies accountable for implementing and enforcing stricter standards for online abuse.

• Prioritizing training and support for women running for office by leveraging organizations that support women running for office.

“When it became apparent last election cycle that many of our endorsed candidates were experiencing serious, dangerous and concerning threats on the campaign trail, we knew we needed to lean in and better understand the seen and unseen barriers that are degrading women’s wellbeing and discouraging them from pursuing elected office,” Marissa Roy, President of California Women’s List and Civil Rights Attorney. “Achieving California Women’s List’s mission means demanding better, and that starts with concrete policy recommendations laid out in the report.”

More than half of survey participants were first-time candidates. Race outcomes were almost equally represented across survey participants with 49.51% reporting wins and 50.49% reporting losses, indicating the potential for hostility and abuse to feature prominently in the outcomes of campaigns.

“Women deserve to run for public office without facing concerns for their safety and wellbeing. Our report’s findings lay bare the reality of campaigning in California:  harassment, danger and discrimination,” said Camille Cruz Zapata, California Women’s List Board Member. “We encourage all members of California’s political community to review this report and consider the personal accounts of intimidation women experienced in recent election cycles. This is an issue of equity. We can and we must do better for women running to represent their communities.”

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Contact

Marissa Roy, Board President, marissa@cawomenslist.org 

About California Women’s List

California Women’s List (CWL) is a Political Action Committee that endorses, fundaises for, and elects women to public office in California. Its mission is to elect women who will make California more just and equitable for all. CWL is run by volunteer board members from across the state who lend their time and talents to CWL’s mission and operations. Learn more at californiawomenslist.org.