Representing ‘Women’s Interests’ in 2025: Senate Messaging at the Intersection of Party, Gender, and Race

Lawmakers from historically marginalized groups often emphasize unique political messages from their counterparts that hinge on their identities or those of their constituency. Because symbolic representation increases constituent support and satisfaction, elected officials are keen to use high-profile nomination hearings as an opportunity to communicate their positions as a tool to maintain or expand constituent backing. Using the case of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr’s nominationhearing for the Health and Human Services Secretary, we find that partisanship plays a crucial role in how elected officials style their identity-based messaging. Furthermore, scholars’ traditional understanding of gender, women’s issues, and intersectional issues is evolving. Our analysis spotlights the ways in which elected officials’ contemporary communication around women and related issues has evolved from earlier findings in our field.