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Ann Arbor, MI 48106 STRATEGIC CHOICES: CAREER DECISIONS OF ELECTED WOMEN DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Joan Elizabeth McLean, B.A., M.A. ***** The Ohio State University 1994 Dissertation Committee: Approved by John H. Kessel Aage R. Clausen CW j ____________ 7 Adviser Joan Huber Department of Political Science Copyright by Joan E. McLean 1 9 9 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I express heartfelt appreciation to Dr. John H. Kessel for his insight and unwavering support throughout this project. Thanks go to other members of my committee, Drs. Aage Clausen and Joan Huber, for their valuable comments and extreme patience. I am indebted to the officeholders who participated in this study. Funds from the Graduate School Alumni Research Award and the OSU Women's Studies Small Research Grant provided critical financial support. Gratitude is expressed to my colleagues and students at Ohio Wesleyan University, especially the Elliott Hall Monday Lunch Group, for their encouragement. The assistance of CAWP, Retta Semones, Jim Ludwig, Ridi Faruque, Janice Schroeder and Laura Staley-Hausman is gratefully acknowledged. Special thanks go to my cadre of friends, especially Val, Scott, Brenda, Steve, Hannah, Chris, Kirk, Judith, Sandy, Donna, Deb, the Johnsons, Aunt Shirley and the D.C. and Florida contingents for providing perspective. To CJ, I offer sincere thanks for allowing the house we share to become dissertation central and for offering to do whatever was needed to help complete this project. To Mildred M. Jeffrey, my mentor and friend - and the memory of my parents iii VITA March 18, 1950 ............... Born - Baldwin, New York 1972 ........................ B.A., University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 1988 ........................ M.A. , The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1990-Present ................. Instructor, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio PUBLICATIONS Politics of Presidential Elections in L. Sandy Maisel, ed., Encyclopedia of American Political Parties and Elections. New York: Garland Publishing Company. 1991 (with John Kessel) FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Political Science TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................. ii DEDICATION......................................... iii VITA .............................................. iv LIST OF T A B L E S ...................................... vii CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION ............................... 1 II. FACTORS AFFECTING WOMEN'S POLITICAL CAREER DECISIONS ................................ 22 Societal Barriers ..................... 22 Structural Political Barriers ............ 3 3 Ambition.............................. 51 III. FIRST RUN FOR PUBLIC O F F I C E ................ 61 Factors Affecting Decision to Seek First Office ....................... 64 Strategic Decisions Regarding First R u n ................. 73 Party S u p p o r t ......................... 90 Money Raised for First R u n ............. 99 Outcome of First Election ............. 104 S u m m a r y .............................. 104 IV. CAREER PATHS TO CURRENT OFFICE .............. 106 Important Factors in Decisions to Run for Current Of fice................... 112 Career Moves Made By Current Officeholders ....................... 124 Career Pace of Experienced Officeholders................. 132 Party S u p p o r t ......................... 142 Money Raised for Current O f f i c e ........ 151 Effect of Age on Political Influence . 158 S u m m a r y .............................. 166 v CHAPTER PAGE V. FUTURE CAREER PLANS ......................... 170 Career Plans Regarding Next Election . 170 Importance of Personal and Campaign Circumstances ....................... 178 Long-Range Electoral Career Plans .... 187 Conditions Necessary to run for Higher Office........................... 206 Campaign Fundraising ................... 213 S u m m a r y ........................... 218 VI. MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF FUTURE CAREER PLANS ..................... 220 Number of Additional Years In Office . 221 Statewide Ambition ................... 2 28 Congressional Ambition ............... 243 S u m m a r y ........................... 250 VII. CONCLUSION: STRATEGIC CHOICES ............. 255 Impact of Gendered Socialization and Role Responsibilities ............... 255 Impact of Structural Political Barriers. 2 63 Impact of Ambition.................. 2 67 Implication of Findings ............... 271 LIST OF REFERENCES............................. 291 vi LIST OF TABLES State Legislators by Region ................. 12 State Legislators by Type of Legislature. 13 Female Statewide Elected Officials by Region. 15 Factors important in decision to first seek public office .............................. 67 Favorable family circumstances important factor in decisions to seek first office: by gender, marital status, children ........... 69 Favorable family circumstances important factors in female candidates' decision to first seek office: by age of youngest child . 71 Favorable family circumstances important factors in male candidates' decision to first seek office: by age of youngest child ....... 72 The median age of candidates seeking office for the first time: by family status ....... 77 Relationship between gender and age of candidate's youngest child at time of first race ................................ 78 Median age of married candidates with children: by gender and age of youngest child ...................................... 79 Level of office sought by State Legislators in their first race for public office: by time period ............................ 85 Level of office sought by State Legislators in their first race for public office: by presence of children ....................... 86 vii 13. Level of office candidates sought in first race for public office by age of youngest child .................................... 88 14. Level of office sought by State Legislators with children 5 years-old or younger during their first race for public o f f i c e ......... 89 15. Party support received by candidates in their first race for office ..................... 93 16. Level of party support received by women candidates running for state legislative seats: by legislative status ................ 97 17. Money raised by female and male candidates who ran for the first time before 1980.... 101 18. Money raised by female and male candidates who ran for the first time in 1980 or after .. 102 19. Money raised by female and male candidates who ran for higher office in 1980 or after . 103 20. Factors important in decision to first seek election to state house: by electoral e x p e r i e n c e ................................ 114 21. Factors important in decision to first seek election to state senate: by electoral e x p e r i e n c e ................................ 117 22. Factors important in decision to first seek election to higher office: by electoral e x p e r i e n c e ................................ 119 23. Change over-time in the importance experienced officeholders attached to seven factors: comparison between initial run for public office and first race for current o f f i c e .................................... 123 24. Offices held previously by experienced officeholders currently serving as state legislators: by chamber ................... 128 25. Number of offices previously held by experienced female and male officeholders currently serving at the state legislative level: by chamber ......................... 129 viii 26. Officeholding experience of current state s e n a t o r s .................................. 130 27. Whether or not experienced officeholders had previously run for and lost an election: by chamber: 131 28. Relationship between age of experienced officeholders' children during first run and career pace .............................