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The Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA) is the nation's only nonpartisan nonprofit organization working to strengthen the capacity of state legislators to lead and achieve progressive change.
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For Immediate Release
November 10, 2000

For Further Information
Center for Policy Alternatives
Bernie Horn
(202) 956-5135

Does “W” Really Stand for Women?

Gore vs. Bush — Who Captured the Women’s Vote

Center for Policy Alternatives Releases Post-Election Analysis

Washington, D.C. — If women were deciding who the next leader of the United States would be, Vice President Gore would have won by a landslide, reports the Center for Policy Alternatives, the premier, nonpartisan policy center tracking the gender gap.

Women’s Vote Analysis (exit polling based on Hotline data)

  • Breakouts show that in every state Gore won the popular vote, the gender gap fell in his favor.
  • More astounding is that if you based the elections solely on the women’s votes, Gore would have won 31 states and captured 370 electoral votes to Bush’s 128 (not including Colorado, Florida or Oregon).
  • In the two states left undetermined, Florida and Oregon, preliminary results show that Gore would have captured them as well, adding another 32 votes to Gore’s existing 370.
  • The only state where Gore and Bush were in a dead heat, both capturing 47% of the women’s vote, was Colorado.
  • Bush’s strongest showing of women was in the Midwest.
  • 52% of all voters this election were women and 48% were men.

The Center for Policy Alternatives’ (CPA) research analyzing women in the election is based in part on the Women’s Voices national poll. Women’s Voices 2000 , a joint polling project of CPA and Lifetime Television released in September, reveals what shaped women’s voting behavior, how they view the economy, their hopes for the future, and the Top 10 Most Important Things to Understand About the Women’s Vote. A copy of the poll can be downloaded at www.stateaction.org.

Linda Tarr-Whelan, President of CPA, is available for comment and post-election analysis about women in the election. Contact Kristina Wilfore at (206) 226-0033 to schedule an interview or for more information.

The Center for Policy Alternatives is the nation’s leading nonpartisan public policy and leadership development center devoted to community-based solutions that strengthen families and communities. CPA engages elected, nonprofit, and private sector leaders across the 50 states to envision and realize progressive solutions for America’s future. For more information, visit CPA’s website at www.stateaction.org. A copy of the map reflecting the data can be sent by contacting CPA.

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