The Electability Myth

Why women candidates are winning—and changing what “electable” means For years, politics has been shaped by assumptions about who is “electable”—assumptions that often sideline women candidates. But those assumptions are starting to fail. In this episode, Jen Taylor-Skinner speaks with Jessica Mackler, President of EMILYs List⁠, about what that shift looks like in real time, starting with Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton’s recent primary win. Despite being outspent and underestimated, Stratton’s victory reflects a broader pattern: women candidates, including women of color, are winning competitive races—and doing so without the traditional advantages long seen as necessary. They discuss how the idea of electability shapes funding, media coverage, and political strategy—and what happens when candidates succeed without fitting that mold. This conversation examines how power is built, who gets backed, and how those dynamics are beginning to change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can listen to The Electability Myth online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The Electability Myth is an episode from The Electorette Podcast by Electorette Media.

This episode is 22:16 long.

This episode was published on Apr 6, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from The Electorette Podcast when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.