FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Trump’s ability to address the economic concerns of women voters, particularly in swing states, was a decisive factor in this election
Boston, MA – Winning over 277 electoral votes and the popular vote, President Donald Trump has emerged victorious, with critical demographic shifts because economic and security concerns shaped the election outcome. Despite Vice President Kamala Harris maintaining an overall advantage among female voters, the gender gap narrowed significantly compared to previous elections.
“Women across the country voted with their pocketbooks this election,” said Jessica Tocco, CEO of A10 Associates. “With the cost of everyday items like eggs and milk tripling in price over the last four years, economic stability is the top priority for many.”
Entering the ballot box, over 60% of voters said the economy was their biggest concern, followed by immigration and security. This is compared to prior national elections, where social issues were top of mind for voters.
“President Trump’s ability to address the economic concerns of women voters, particularly in swing states, was a decisive factor in this election,” added Tocco. “The interplay of economic issues, security concerns, and demographic shifts among women voters played a crucial role in shaping the outcome. As women continue contributing to the U.S. economy and their families, cost of living, quality housing, and every security have become top-of-mind issues.”
Exit polls revealed that Harris won 54% of women voters, slightly less than Joe Biden’s 57% in 2020. President Trump made notable gains among Latino women in states like Florida and Texas. Economic concerns, particularly the rising cost of essential goods, were a primary driver for women voters. This shift in sentiment significantly impacted the voting decisions of women, who now make up 47% of the U.S. workforce and whose “issues” increasingly transcend the bucket of issues labeled traditionally as “women’s issues.”
In critical swing states, the influence of women and Latino voters was evident. In Georgia, Harris held only a 7-point advantage among women, compared to Biden’s 9-point lead in 2020. In Pennsylvania, while Harris led among women by 12 points, Trump’s strong performance with men offset this advantage. While suburban women favored Kamala Harris by 16 points overall, this slightly decreased from Joe Biden’s 19-point advantage in 2020. Trump managed to narrow the gap slightly in this vital demographic. Trump also won 45% of Latino voters nationally vs 32% in 2020, showing a large increase in support in critical swing states.
While abortion rights remained a significant issue of debate throughout the 2024 election cycle, states like Missouri, Nevada, Arizona, and Montana all passed ballot measures to strengthen access to abortion while still electing Donald Trump. Therefore, voters “split their ticket,” and this issue did not mobilize support for Harris to the extent anticipated by Democrats.
Traditionally, split-ticket voting is rare, and in 2020, only 4% of election outcomes were “split” from the presidential ballot. However, as we continue to count votes, entire states like New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Vermont are already showing split tickets across multiple races. This anomaly indicates that voters are evolving based on the issues and policies that directly impact their families rather than relying on generic partisan political stances.
As the nation moves forward, the results of this election underscore the importance of addressing the diverse and evolving priorities of women voters. The economy and national security are just as much “women’s issues” as abortion.
Contact: Kate Countryman 720-746-8660
