A woman has never been elected to Congress or held the governorship in Iowa. The only other state to hold this dubious distinction is Mississippi. Several studies point to cultural factors, such as the state’s older population and evangelical lobbying groups. But nearly a century after women’s suffrage and three years after Iowa legalized gay marriage, the Hawkeye State’s problem seems to lie deeper. Former Iowa State Senator Maggie Tinsman, co-founder of the 50/50 in 2020 campaign, and Dianne Bystrom, director of the Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University, discuss why female politicians have not gained traction in Iowa.
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