"Voters typically do not care about marital status, and single and married candidates fare equally well," Jennifer Lawless, professor of politics at the University of Virginia, wrote to the Journal. "The challenge with a divorce, of course, is being able to navigate a difficult personal time and a competitive statewide election simultaneously ... If candidates who are in the process of getting divorced tend not to fare well, it's likely because of the personal toll the change in circumstances takes."
Jennifer Lawless