A woman's place is in the dome : examining the campaign strategies of female legislative candidates in Texas

Abstract

In this study, I examine how women politicians in Texas negotiate a political context that is generally thought to be inhospitable to female candidacies. I illuminate the strategies that female politicians in Texas employ to gain legitimacy from both their parties in the beginning stages of their careers and from the public during their campaigns. I pay particular attention to the ways in which these strategies vary according to candidates' race/ethnicity.