The Pink Wave

How and why the election of Donald Trump inspired more women to enter politics Donald Trumps victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election shocked and dismayed many women, and motivated many to run for office at all levels of government. In The Pink Wave, Regina M. Matheson and William W. Parsons explore this inspiring phenomenon and its impact on womens representation. Drawing on national surveys and in-depth interviews of over 900 women, across almost every state, Matheson and Parsons show us why more women decided to run for state legislature during the Trump administration, the obstacles they faced on the campaign trail, and whether they ultimately succeeded or failed in their bid for office. Candidates share valuable lessons they learned from their recent campaign experiences, providing future insight for womenon both sides of the aislewho may be inspired to follow in their footsteps. Matheson and Parsons examine the impact Donald Trump had on women candidatesboth positive and negativeand womens ambitions to pursue political office. The Pink Wave celebrates the hundreds of trailblazing women creating new political opportunities for representation, now and in the future.