Sex, Campaign Contributions, and State Courts of Last Resort

Women have struggled to be elected at the federal, state, or local levels-with the notable exception of State Courts of Last Resort (SCLR), where women have experienced (comparative) electoral success. While scholars have sought to explain this relative success, one factor often overlooked is the role of campaign contributions and whether women are outraising their male counterparts. Using an original database of campaign contributions from 1989 to 2020, we seek to shed more light on female candidate fundraising in SCLR elections, both in terms of amounts raised and who is contributing to these campaigns. After controlling for other factors, we find that female candidates outraise male candidates overall, primarily-but not exclusively-by outraising men on small donations. We also find that incumbency and professional experience do not help women outraise men, and we find that the fundraising success of female SCLR candidates is primarily with White Anglo women. We conclude by offering insights on where the study of sex and judicial elections should go next.