According to Dresang, Democrat Ed Garvey takes a stronger stand on this issue than fellow party members in his campaign for governor. Spending views also provide stark contrasts. Dresang says Republicans tend to emphasize more money for prisons and justice, while Democrats more often push for more education money. Women have a tendency to support Democrats more so than men, even when the Republican candidate is a female, says UW-Madison political science professor Virginia Sapiro. Such is the case in one of the most competitive and crucial races in Wisconsin between Nancy Mistele and Jon Erpenbach for the 27th District state Senate seat.
Men are more concerned with fiscal restraint.
Sapiro says the elections where gender might make a difference are the races between Russ Feingold and Mark Neuman for U.S. Senate and Tammy Baldwin and Jo Musser for Congress. Both races have garnered national attention. Musser and Baldwin take similar stances on abortion and social security funding, issues that traditionally influence women voters.