In Georgia governor's race, women could cast deciding vote

Oct 12, 2018

2 min

Mary-Kate Lizotte, PhD

With the 2018 midterm elections looming less than a month away, Georgia gubernatorial candidates Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp are neck-and-neck according to the latest Atlanta Journal Constitution/Channel 2 poll.


In an election year with record voter registration numbers in the Peach State—and amid allegations of voter suppression—women voters could cast the deciding vote.


But for which side?


To find the answer, says Dr. Mary-Kate Lizotte, associate professor of political science at Augusta University, look to the issues.


“Women, in particular Republican and Independent women, differ from men of the same party on the issues of government spending on childcare, public schools, welfare, social security, and aiding the homeless,” Lizotte said. “Women typically favor increased spending on the issues.”


Examining data from 1994 to 2008, Lizotte, an expert on gender differences relating to public opinion, found that women are also more liberal than men of the same party on the issues of gay rights, government-guaranteed standard of living, and on the provision of more government services.


“For races where these issues have become salient, it might be the case that women would be more likely to be motivated to turn out to vote and to vote for candidates that have liberal positions on these issues,” she said.  


That could be excellent news for the Abrams campaign, which has emphasized public education funding.


“Women in Georgia who believe in increasing public education funding should be more likely to vote for Abrams,” Lizotte said. “This may also be the case for several House races where the issue of tax reform and tax cuts has become salient.”


The confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court earlier this month could also sway election results, albeit in less clearly defined ways.


Lizotte said the confirmation could either motivate conservative women voters to turn out or, alternatively, dissuade Republican women with Pro-Choice leanings from voting entirely. The expectation is a little more cut-and-dry for liberal women voters.


“The Kavanaugh confirmation is just one more reason to expect an increase in voter turnout among liberal women,” she said. “The Women's March in 2017 and 2018 along with the increase in female interest in running for office all indicate that the Trump election and presidency had already galvanized liberal women voters.”


Finally, Lizotte said, although white women are divided politically—with college-educated white women swaying Left and those without a college degree favoring the Right—there was no such division among African American women voters.


“And as we've seen, African American women turnout at high rates and can influence elections like the Alabama Senate race,” she said.


Dr. Lizotte is available to discuss:


  • "Gender gaps" on various issues leading up to the 2018 midterm elections
  • The role of women voters in State and National elections
  • The perception of voters, in terms of public opinion, toward candidates in Georgia's gubernatorial election.


Connect with:
Mary-Kate Lizotte, PhD

Mary-Kate Lizotte, PhD

Professor of Political Science

Lizotte is an expert in public opinion and is an expert in gender in politics and voting.

Gender Differences in Effect of Attractiveness on Political Candidacy‎Gender Differences in Political InterestsGender Differences in Public OpinionRace and Politics

You might also like...

Check out some other posts from Augusta University

3 min

Georgia Rising - Let our experts explain why the Peach State is ripe for business

The state of Georgia’s economy has been very strong for a number of years now. The state has had a surplus in tax revenues and there’s several reasons for it. The future also remains bright for the Peach State as more major companies businesses are now calling Georgia home with more on the horizon. William Hatcher, PhD, chair of the Department of Social Sciences in Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences said compared to most other southern states, Georgia has achieved tremendous success by having a good rainy-day fund in the form of tax revenue. “Georgia politicians have been more responsible in managing their budgets and investing and long-term development, and this goes back decades,” said Hatcher. In luring businesses to invest in the state, companies look at several needs that include built infrastructure and human capital. Hatcher said both state and local governments are also likely to give tax breaks when those businesses commit to locating Georgia. When talking human capital, companies will look at the education level in a given area to make sure it fits their need. The local labor market’s characteristics, such as education attainment, needs to match with the needs of the company looking to invest in the community. New companies will also look at even the lifestyle choices in the immediate area of where they want to locate. “They look at what are the assets in the community? What are our workers going to be doing after work? So when you look at the growth in cybersecurity jobs in the Augusta area, you’ve also seen over the years an increase in community assets, from the trail systems to more restaurants and more culture assets. It all goes together as the workers come in, they seek to build those things to attract people to the area,” he said. While some businesses and companies may have decided where they want to move beforehand, Hatcher indicated they often still will play one state against another, or even communities against each other, looking for the best possible deal. In the past couple of decades, Georgia has seen a huge boom in the movie and television industry. The state has been able to lure production companies to Georgia and the main reason is tax incentives, Hatcher said. “That was a very targeted tax incentive that had a positive effect. Georgia basically said you produce your movies and films here, but there are certain rules you have to follow, such as having a certain percentage of your workforce be local, you’ll receive those tax incentives,” said Hatcher. Work, live, play communities have also blossomed again in the past 20 years. People are trying to keep their work commute time to a minimum and would like to be able to walk to the amenities they need on a daily basis. While that’s how cities used to be developed, it hasn’t been the case since the advent of the car. Once again though, people are putting a major emphasis on getting away from having to rely on their vehicle. In order to keep building the tax base and making it worthwhile for business to move into an area, Hatcher believes that local, city and county governments need to find a way to work better together. “When you have multiple, competing parts of a local economy there’s a lot of benefit, but there’s also a lot of drawbacks if you don’t think holistically, like a region, to go forward,” he said. “Historically, Georgia has focused on promoting business and thinking long-term in its decisions in this promotion.” Looking to know more? We can help. William Hatcher is a professor of political science and chair of Augusta University’s Department of Social Sciences. He is an expert in the areas of public administration and social, economic and political institutions. Hatcher is available to speak with media regarding this topic. To arrange an interview today, simply click on his icon now.

2 min

Can you benefit in transferring high-interest credit card debt?

Photo credit: paulaveryevans According to Lendingtree, Americans have over $1 trillion in credit card debt. The average American has around $6,500 in credit card debt. When you factor in the high interest that credit cards charge, it can be a daunting task to get the balance to zero. Many cards offer 0% APR on balance transfers for certain length of times. But is it worth it if you don’t plan on paying off the entire balance during the promotional period? Wendy Habegger, PhD, senior lecturer in the James M. Hull College of Business, said you need to be careful when taking advantage of such offers. “The benefit one would get in this situation is short-lived,” said Habegger. “While one might enjoy no interest for the promo period, when that period is over, the interest rate they are charged could be more than the credit card from which they transferred. My recommendation is that if one does a balance transfer, then only do so if you are able to pay off the balance before the period ends.” Some may think of doing a second balance transfer but Habegger said that it is not a good idea and could have a negative impact on a person’s credit score. It also gives the appearance the customer is at increased risk of default, which could trigger an even higher interest rate and higher fees. Not only may one incur higher rates, it could certainly impact their credit score, which can have a long-lasting financial impact. Even a large purchase on a 0% APR card will affect someone’s credit score. “A large purchase indirectly impacts one’s credit score based on credit utilization,” she added. “If one uses more than 30% credit utilization, it could impact credit scores.” Personal debt and credit are trending and important topics in America today - and if you're looking to know more, we can help. Wendy Habegger is a respected finance expert available to offer advice on making the right money moves during volatile times. To arrange an interview, simply click on her icon now.

1 min

#ExpertSpot: How Does the Ukraine/Russia War Finally End?

With the war between Russia and Ukraine now approaching two and a half years - there's no end in sight. How does it end? Check out this ExpertSpot from Augusta's Dr. Craig Albert for some insight and perspective. Craig Albert, PhD, is director of the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies at Augusta University. He is a leading expert on war, terrorism and American politics. AI and the upcoming election is a serious topic. Albert is available to speak with media – simply click on his name to arrange an interview today.

View all posts