Experts

Jennifer Lawless

Faculty Senior Fellow
UVA+CV+-+Jennifer+Lawless.pdf

Fast Facts

  • Chair, UVA Department of Politics
  • Author or co-author of nine books
  • Former editor of the American Journal of Political Science
  • Expertise on women and politics, campaigns and elections, political media

Areas Of Expertise

  • Domestic Affairs
  • Media and the Press
  • Governance
  • Elections
  • Politics

Jennifer L. Lawless is the Leone Reaves and George W. Spicer Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia and the chair of the Politics Department. She is also has affiliations with UVA’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the Miller Center.

Her research focuses on political ambition, campaigns and elections, and media and politics. She is the author or co-author of nine books, including News Hole: The Demise of Local Journalism and Political Engagement (with Danny Hayes) and It Takes More than a Candidate: Why Women Don't Run for Office (with Richard L. Fox). 

Lawless' research, which has been supported by the National Science Foundation, has appeared in numerous academic journals and is regularly cited in the popular press. From 2019-2025, Lawless served as the co-editor in chief of the American Journal of Political Science. She is also the recipient of the 2023 Shorenstein Center Goldsmith Book Prize, for the academic book that examines the intersection among media, politics, and public policy. 

Lawless graduated from Union College with a BA in political science and Stanford University with an MA and PhD in political science. In 2006, she sought the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives in Rhode Island’s second congressional district. Although she lost the race, she remains an obsessive political junkie.

Featured Publications

It Takes More Than a Candidate
It Takes More Than a Candidate

Jennifer Lawless (coauthor)

News Hole
News Hole: The Demise of Local Journalism and Political Engagement

Jennifer Lawless (coauthor)

Women Men
Women, Men & US Politics: 10 Big Questions

Jennifer Lawless (coauthor)

Women on the Run
Women on the Run

Jennifer Lawless (coauthor)

Running From Office
Running From Office

Jennifer Lawless (coauthor)

Becoming a Candidate
Becoming a Candidate

Jennifer Lawless

It Still Takes a Candidate
It Still Takes a Candidate

Jennifer Lawless (coauthor)

It Takes a Candidate
It Takes a Candidate

Jennifer Lawless (coauthor)

Jennifer Lawless News Feed

The Christian Science Monitor
In Joe Biden’s last stand, a test for American centrism
“When you come off three consecutive losses, it leads people to wonder, ‘Is this somebody who can deliver the general election to the Democrats?’” says Jennifer Lawless, a political scientist at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. She adds: “This is an opportunity for him to really turn things around. He seems more invested in making a case for himself.”
Jennifer Lawless The Christian Science Monitor
Politico
‘This Was Not a Great Night for the Democratic Party’
Tuesday’s debate concluded with a two-part question for each of the candidates: What’s the biggest misconception about you? And what words do you live by? None of the responses was particularly surprising or interesting, as each candidate basically used the time allotted to make a closing statement to voters in South Carolina and the Super Tuesday states. But the question itself provides a great way to summarize the debate.
Jennifer Lawless POLITICO Magazine
HuffPost
MSNBC Host Chris Matthews Under Fire For Sexist Grilling Of Elizabeth Warren
“The idea that he wouldn’t believe a woman, who has nothing to gain by coming forward, but would believe a man, who has everything to lose, is appalling,” said Jennifer Lawless, a political science professor at the University of Virginia. “It’s also almost unimaginable that he’d doubt a male candidate’s confidence so explicitly.”
Jennifer Lawless HuffPost
The New York Times
Elizabeth Warren’s Fans Want to Know: Can She Do It Again at Tonight’s Debate?
“I don’t know how to put it other than she was a badass,” said Jennifer Lawless, a professor of politics at the University of Virginia and former director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University.
Jennifer Lawless The New York Times
POLITICO
‘A Bland, Clueless Billionaire With Feet of Clay’
Wednesday night’s debate provided answers to three key questions Democrats have been musing about since the candidates last shared the stage a couple of weeks ago: Does Bloomberg have what it takes—beyond money—to win the nomination and, ultimately, the White House? Can Sanders—the new frontrunner—quell concerns that he can’t possibly defeat Trump? Is it time for the remaining candidates—Biden, Warren, Buttigieg and Klobuchar—to pack it in and go home?
Jennifer Lawless POLITICO Magazine
Washington Post
Doubts persist for Dem voters about female nominee in 2020
“Women are more likely to have experienced or observed gender discrimination or sexism,” said Jennifer Lawless, a political scientist at the University of Virginia. Notably, experts said, there’s no data showing that women underperform or outperform men in general elections. But Lawless noted that having to fight that perception that a woman cannot win may actually work against the female candidates in this race.
Jennifer Lawless The Washington Post