LAS VEGAS — Even as women have emerged as the animating force behind the backlash to President Trump, with many storming to victory in congressional primaries, several are finding governors’ races to be more challenging.
The female candidates are struggling to build as much political and financial support as their male rivals.
From Tuesday through September, female candidates for governor will be on the ballot in Democratic primaries in 17 states, including pivotal battlegrounds such as Florida, Wisconsin, and Colorado — part of the record number of women running for governor this year.
In interviews, several said they are facing entrenched resistance to female power at the executive level, and male opponents with deeper campaign coffers and, in some cases, far less political experience.
Chris Giunchigliani got a stark reminder of the challenges women can face when she was rebuffed by former senator Harry Reid, who in retirement remains the de facto leader of the Nevada Democratic Party.
When Giunchigliani told Reid about her plans to run for governor of Nevada in 2018, he candidly told her that he thought her opponent, Steve Sisolak, would make a stronger candidate, Giunchigliani recently recalled.
Reid, the former Senate Democratic leader, was even blunter when he warned Stephanie Schriock, president of Emily’s List, that the Democratic women’s group would be inviting disaster if they spent heavily for Giunchigliani, according to two Democrats who described the private conversation on condition of anonymity.
Were Giunchigliani, a veteran officeholder and outspoken liberal, to be nominated, Reid said, the casino executives who dominate Nevada politics would not only throw their support to Adam Laxalt, the likely Republican candidate for governor, they would also work to wrest control of the state Legislature away from Democrats.
His plea fell on deaf ears. Emily’s List polled the race, found Giunchigliani could be competitive, and has spent about $2 million on her candidacy, lifting her into contention.
Giunchigliani now faces an uphill primary election here Tuesday against the better-funded Sisolak — and while Reid was focused on ideology, she attributes some of the resistance to her campaign to her gender. “It takes a lot of work to prove to people that you have that credential,’’ she said. Reid declined to comment on the episode.
Maine Attorney General Janet Mills began her campaign for governor as a front-runner, but has faced difficult competition from both male and female opponents before Maine’s primary Tuesday.
Her strongest challenger appears to be Adam Cote, a military veteran and businessman running as an outsider. So, in the shadow of the state capitol in Augusta on Friday, Mills sought to rally women to her side.
Describing her background as a district attorney and legislator, Mills cast gender as central to her campaign and portrayed her opponents’ attacks as part of an all-too-familiar trap for women.
“Now, men say: ‘Well, you have a great resume, but you’re kind of an insider,’’’ Mills said, to groans from a predominantly female crowd of about 50. “Really? For decades, men were telling women: ‘Just a little more experience and you’ll be qualified.’ ’’
She finished with gusto: “Well, goddamn it, I am qualified!’’
At the moment, there are just two Democratic women governors: Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island and Kate Brown of Oregon. Raimondo faces a potentially bruising reelection fight, including a primary challenge from a liberal male opponent, Matt Brown.
Raimondo said she was hopeful that 2018 would see breakthroughs for women in governorships, but that the country’s political culture had been slow to embrace female executives.
