Democrats & Unmarried Women: Explanation & Context

In 2022, according to exit polls, unmarried women voted for Democratic House candidates at a slightly more than two-to-one ratio (68–31 percent). Every other quadrant of voters — married men, unmarried men, and married women — gave majorities to Republican candidates. The voting proclivities of unmarried women have therefore gotten some attention in the last few weeks, and the discussion has sometimes been less than wholly sensible. A few points worth keeping in mind:

This is a long-standing pattern. In nearly every election, unmarried women vote for Democrats at higher rates than the other groups. In 2004, unmarried women gave 37 percent of their votes to George W. Bush while married men gave him 60 percent.

About the Author

Ramesh Ponnuru

Ramesh Ponnuru is the editor of National Review, a columnist for the Washington Post, and a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

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In 2022, according to exit polls, unmarried women voted for Democratic House candidates at a slightly more than two-to-one ratio (68–31 percent). Every other quadrant of voters — married men, unmarried men, and married women — gave majorities to Republican candidates. The voting proclivities of unmarried women have therefore gotten some attention in the last few weeks, and the discussion has sometimes been less than wholly sensible. A few points worth keeping in mind:

This is a long-standing pattern. In nearly every election, unmarried women vote for Democrats at higher rates than the other groups. In 2004, unmarried women gave 37 percent of their votes to George W. Bush while married men gave him 60 percent.