The 2024 US presidential election between incumbent Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Kamala Harris proved historic in many ways, not least in how women voters split their support between the candidates. While Harris, as a woman of color, aimed to galvanize the female electorate to make history, exit polls paint a more nuanced picture of women’s voting behavior across race, age, and other demographics.
Harris Wins Women Overall, But By Smaller Margins
According to preliminary exit poll data, Kamala Harris did carry the women’s vote, but by a slimmer 10-point margin compared to Hillary Clinton’s 13-point advantage in 2016 and Joe Biden’s 15-point lead in 2020. This suggests that Harris’ attempt to rally women voters, while somewhat successful, fell short of the overwhelming “female wave” her campaign aimed to generate.
White Women Remain Loyal to GOP
Digging deeper into the data reveals that white women proved a weak spot for Harris. They have backed the Republican candidate in every election since 1952, with only two exceptions. That trend held in 2024, with Trump winning white women by 5 points. However, this represents an improvement for Democrats from 2020, when Trump won the group by 11 points.
“White women have been a reliably Republican voting bloc for decades,” noted a prominent political analyst. “While Democrats made some inroads with them this cycle, fully flipping their allegiances remains an elusive goal.”
Shifts Among Young Women and Latinas
The voting patterns of women under 30 proved especially intriguing. While they broke for Harris by 18 points overall, this represented a sizable shift from 2020, when Biden won them by a whopping 27 points over Trump. Young women moved noticeably towards the GOP compared to the previous cycle.
Latina women also saw one of the biggest swings between 2020 and 2024. Harris carried this crucial voter group, but only by 24 points – a far cry from Clinton’s dominating 44-point margin among Latinas in 2016. Their male counterparts shifted even more dramatically, with Trump winning Latino men outright by 10 points after losing them by 23 points to Biden just four years prior.
Black Women Remain Democratic Stronghold
Amid the shifting allegiances of many female voters, one group remained rock-solid for Democrats: Black women. Harris carried them by a staggering 85 points, outperforming among this loyal Democratic constituency compared even to Clinton and Biden. Black women’s overwhelming support proved a rare bright spot for Harris on an otherwise disappointing night.
As the post-election analysis continues, these emerging data points paint a complex picture of women’s voting behavior in 2024. While Harris aimed to ride a cresting wave of female support into the White House, the reality proved more fractured. Women, as always, are far from a monolithic voting bloc – with race, age, and ethnicity driving varied and often surprising allegiances. The 2024 electoral gender gap story is one of noteworthy shifts, steadfast loyalties, and persistent divides.
