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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 11 February 2020

Doubts persist for Dem voters about female nominee in 2020

By NICHOLAS RICCARDI, Only about one-third of
HANNAH FINGERHUT and Iowa caucusgoers backed
MICHAEL CASEY a female candidate. Top-
Associated Press ping the caucus field were
PLYMOUTH, N.H. (AP) — In a two men, former South
perfect world, Susan Stepp, Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete
a 73-year-old retiree, would Buttigieg and Vermont Sen.
be voting vote for Mas- Bernie Sanders,. Women
sachusetts Sen. Elizabeth were only slightly more like-
Warren in New Hampshire's ly than men to back one
Democratic presidential of the three women in the
primary Tuesday, she says. race, according to AP Vo-
But that won't be happen- teCast, a survey of more
ing. than 3,000 Iowa voters.
"I am not sure a woman is Most Iowa Democrats said
the best candidate to go it was important for a wom-
up against Trump," Stepp an to be president in their
said recently as she stood lifetimes. But many voters,
in the back of a confer- including about half of
ence room listening to all women, said a female
tech entrepreneur Andrew nominee would have a
Yang as part of her hunt harder time beating Don-
for the best candidate to ald Trump in November.
challenge the Republican "He will just use that against Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., left, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar,
incumbent. Stepp's con- her, like he did Hillary," D-Minn., right, stand on stage Friday, Feb. 7, 2020, before the start of a Democratic presidential
cern has coursed through Stepp said, looking back to primary debate hosted by ABC News, Apple News, and WMUR-TV at Saint Anselm College in
Manchester, N.H.
the Democratic primary for Trump's 2016 race against Associated Press
months, registering in poll- Hillary Clinton in 2016. "He
ing, interviews and, now, doesn't debate. He just in- making the case that a ident. because the race is too
the first votes cast. In Iowa's sults. I don't think he would woman can win. As they "In 2020, we can and close to call.
caucuses last Monday, have that same effect if he seek success in New Hamp- should have a woman for Iowans appeared open to
many Democrats did not went up against a strong shire, both Warren and Min- president," Warren said at that message. Most Demo-
prioritize breaking the gen- man." Stepp said she plans nesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar a CNN town hall this past cratic voters in the state,
der barrier to the Oval Of- to vote for Sanders. must work to energize vot- week, days after taking 72%, said they thought it
fice and they viewed being Those perceptions present ers about the chance to third in Iowa. Klobuchar is important for the U.S. to
a woman as a hindrance an undeniable headwind make history and persuade came in fifth. The Associ- elect a woman president
rather than an advantage for the women in the race, them it is possible this year, ated Press has not called a in their lifetimes, and that
in the race. who have spent months in this race against this pres- winner in the Iowa caucus included roughly two-thirds
of men.
But most were resolved to
put it off for another elec-
tion. That was true of men
and women. The survey
found 34% of women vot-
ed for Warren, Klobuchar
or the longshot candidacy
of Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gab-
bard, compared with 28%
of men.
Overall, many Democrat-
ic voters thought it would
be harder for a woman to
beat Trump. About half of
women said they thought
a female nominee would
have a harder time, com-
pared with about 4 in 10
men. Men who harbored
that concern were signifi-
cantly less likely to vote for
a woman than a man.q