A gender gap in candidate preference persisted during the 2024 election, mirroring trends seen in 2016 and 2020, according to an analysis by the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP). The study, conducted by a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, found that women were more likely than men to support Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz across every reported race, age, and education group.
While women generally favored the Democratic ticket, support varied significantly among subgroups. Black women were identified as the most reliable base for the Harris/Walz ticket, with approximately 9 in 10 casting ballots for the Democrats. Similarly, a majority of Latinas supported the Democratic ticket, though data from BSP Research indicated two-thirds of Latinas backed Harris.
In contrast, a majority of white women continued to support Donald Trump. Edison's exit poll reported a ten percentage point gender gap, with 45% of women and 55% of men voting for Trump. VoteCast reported a similar nine percentage point gap. While college-educated white women shifted further toward Democratic support, with Harris holding a 17-point margin among them, non-college-educated white women provided a significant base for Trump, with over 6 in 10 in that subgroup backing him.
Religion and age also influenced voting patterns. Eight in ten white born-again or evangelical women supported the Trump/Vance ticket, according to the Edison exit poll. Conversely, majorities of white men and women with no religious affiliation supported the Harris/Walz ticket.
Among younger voters, 61% of women aged 18-29 supported the Harris/Walz ticket, while 48% of young men did. Although both young men and women saw a decrease in Democratic support from 2020 to 2024, the gender gap for this age cohort was 11 points, which is smaller than the 15-point gap recorded in 2020.
The CAWP analysis notes that understanding women's voting behavior requires looking at both broad trends and specific subgroups. While Democrats maintain an advantage with women voters overall, that advantage is built upon differing levels of support among various demographic groups.
