Gender, Race, and Candidate Desirability for Lower and Higher Office

A number of studies using data from electoral results indicate that the underrepresentation of women and marginalised racial groups increases as the prestige of a political office increases. In other words, women and people from marginalised racial/ethnic groups are more likely to be represented in lower elected offices (e.g., city council) than in higher offices (e.g., governor). These differences tend to be attributed to several obstacles to entry, including party gatekeeping and access to resources. While many studies underscore voters' preferences for women and candidates from marginalised racial groups, some electoral results do not align with this expectation. Could voter biases constitute an additional barrier to the representation of marginalised groups in higher offices? To explore this question and understand the obstacles faced by women and underrepresented ethnic groups in securing effective election, we conducted a study with voters (N=2,501), employing a conjoint experiment in Brazil. Our primary objective was to investigate whether the type of political office influences voters' preferences for women and candidates from marginalised racial groups, as well as to identify the key barriers to women's election arising from the demand side. Preliminary results suggest varying preferences concerning the election of women to different offices. Additionally, our findings indicate that voters prioritize ideology and supporters over gender and race when making their voting decisions.