President Clinton and five Democratic U.S. Senate candidates owe their victories to women voters. A historic 11-point gender gap propelled President Bill Clinton to victory — the first time a U.S. President was elected by a majority of women voters while a plurality of men voted for the losing candidate. Democratic U.S. Senate candidates in Massachusetts, Minnesota, Georgia, Louisiana, and Iowa also would not have won their races without majority support from women, since men favored their opponents.

President Clinton won re-election with support from the majority of women voters, but less than half of men voters. According to exit polls, 54% of women and 43% of men voted for Clinton. Dole received support from 44% of men and 38% of women. Ten percent of men and 7% of women voted for Perot. Women comprised 58% of Clinton voters.

Gender gaps in support for Clinton occurred across all demographic categories, including age, race, party, marital status, education, and geography. The largest gender gaps appeared between male and female voters who were 30-44 years old (13% gender gap), unmarried (13% gender gap), college graduates (12% gender gap), and suburban (12% gender gap).

Support for Clinton was strongest among Black women (89%), Democratic women (85%), women without a high school diploma (63%), and unmarried women (62%).

The gender gap, as has been the case since 1980, was driven by issues of particular concern to women. The gender gap in favor of Clinton was fueled by women’s concerns about Medicare, Social Security, education and abortion rights. These same issues have been influencing the gender gap throughout the 1980s and 90s. According to Voter News Service exit polls, 17% of women voters said Medicare and Social Security most influenced their presidential decision. Fifteen percent of women identified education as the top issue. Clinton received the votes of 68% of women voters who were most concerned about Medicare and Social Security and 79% of those who placed a priority on education.

Men voters, on the other hand, placed greater emphasis on taxes and the deficit in their Presidential voting. Of men voters, 15% identified the deficit and 14% chose taxes as the most important issues. Twelve percent of men expressed concern about Medicare and Social Security.

Support for abortion rights among women voters is stronger. While the majority of women voters (61%) and men voters (58%) support abortion rights, more women than men felt abortion should be legal in all cases. Twenty-eight percent of women, compared with 21% of men, felt abortion should be legal in all cases. Another 33% of women and 37% of men felt abortion should be legal in most cases.

Among voters who took the strongest abortion rights position, women were more likely than men to vote for Clinton. Seventy-three percent of women who believed that abortion should be legal in all cases voted for Clinton. Only 65% of men who stated abortion should be legal in all cases supported Clinton.

Jobs and the economy were issues of importance to both women and men voters in the election. Twenty percent of women and 22% of men said that jobs and the economy were issues that most influenced their vote for President.

The gender gap also produced the margin of victory for five Democratic U.S. Senate candidates, all of whom were more supportive of women’s rights issues than their Republican opponents. In each race, these candidates secured support from a majority of women voters and less than a majority of men voters.

In Georgia, Democrat Max Cleland’s victory over Republican Guy Milner was the result of women voters. Cleland won support from 60% of women and only 39% of men.

Massachusetts Democratic Senator John Kerry fought back a strong challenge from Governor William Weld in a race that featured an 11% gender gap, with 56% of women and only 47% of men supporting Kerry. Women voters were decisive in Democratic Senator Paul Wellstone’s race over Republican Rudy Boschwitz. Wellstone enjoyed a 9% gender gap, winning support from 55% of women and 46% of men.

In a tight race in Louisiana, support among women voters made the difference in Democrat Mary Landrieu’s defeat of Woody Jenkins. Landrieu received 54% of women’s votes and 45% of men’s. (See article, "Women are 11% of New Congress.")

Iowa Democratic Senator Tom Harkin would not have won his close race against Republican Congressman Jim Lightfoot without the majority support of women voters. Fifty-five percent of women voted for Harkin, compared with 49% of men.

Women voters rejected the Gingrich Congress. Of women voters, 64% had an unfavorable opinion of House Speaker Newt Gingrich; 55% of men said their opinion of Gingrich was unfavorable.

In turn, 55 % of women and 46% of men nationwide supported Democratic House candidates. House Republican candidates won support from 54% of men and 45% of women.

Source: Exit poll data from Voter News Services and the New York Times.