There's a Huge Gender Pay Gap on the Presidential Campaign Trail

The results of a new investigation will make you furious.

Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz
(Image credit: Marie Claire)

Despite making lots of strides lately, women in politics still have a nearly impossible challenge to find an actually equal workplace. And that includes the high-pressure world of presidential campaigns. Jezebel reports that out of six presidential campaigns (including Marco Rubio, who dropped out after the investigation was published), four of them had a significant gender wage gap, and women often bear the brunt of that disparity.

On average, Ted Cruz's male staffers made $20,000 more than female staffers. The numbers were less extreme, but still awful, for the campaigns of Donald Trump and John Kasich. (Though Kasich's campaign noted that his is the only campaign run by a woman, which is at least something.) 

Two campaigns provided a little hope, though; Hillary Clinton's campaign had roughly the same salaries for men and women, and Marco Rubio's now-defunct campaign actually paid women more than men, on average. Though Bernie Sanders' campaign also paid women slightly more than men, all top 10 earners on his campaign are guys. That's surprising coming from Sanders' campaign, since his platforms are generally aligned with the feminist movement, and even specifically target the pay gap. 

It's disappointing that campaigns promising a brighter future for America often seem backwards when it comes to encouraging female politicos. But here's hoping paying closer attention will force prospective candidates to fight for equality in their own campaigns.

Follow Marie Claire on Instagram for the latest celeb news, pretty pics, funny stuff, and an insider POV.

Megan Friedman
Editor

Megan Friedman is the former managing editor of the Newsroom at Hearst. She's worked at NBC and Time, and is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.

Latest in Politics
Listing
Elizabeth Warren: This Is What Eliminating the Department of Education Will Actually Look Like
Hero
Yes, Men Are Struggling—But Dismantling Women's Progress Isn't the Answer
theSkimm
After President Trump Took Office, ReproductiveRights.gov Went Dark—So theSkimm Founders Brought It Back to Life
michelle obama puts her hand on her heart as she stands at a podium wearing a navy dress
Michelle Obama Honors MLK Day With a Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. After Skipping Inauguration
Cecile Richards wears a bright pink dress and stands in front of a wall of flowers
Cecile Richards, Former Planned Parenthood President and Women's Rights Activist, Has Died at Age 67
signs showing Project 2025 posters on the ground
A Glimpse Into Your Project 2025 Future
Latest in News
Model with barely there makeup, glowy skin, and long coily hair.
Everything You Need to Know About Marie Claire’s Skin and Hair Awards
Kendall Jenner stands in a room wearing a bateau neckline top with coordinating skirt and pants
Kendall Jenner Pairs the Optical Illusion Skirt-Pant Trend With a Rich-Girl "Amazon" Clutch
Two men (Ike Barinholtz and Seth Rogen) sit at a conference table with a script in front of them, as two women (Kathryn Hahn and Chase Sui Wonders) stand behind them, in 'The Studio.'
The Cast of 'The Studio': Your Guide
Bella Hadid walks into a studio wearing an oversize leather jacket with a pair of capri leggings and ballet sneakers
The Ballet Sneaker Trend Is Bella Hadid's Undisputed It-Shoe of 2025
Keke Palmer in a brown cutout dress and long copper hair
Keke Palmer Returns to the Dark Side With Deep Espresso Hair
Jonathan Davino in a blue shirt and gray blazer and Sydney Sweeney in a black and white patterned dress at the InStyle and Kate Spade dinner in October 2018
Sydney Sweeney Deletes Instagram of Fiancé Jonathan Davino, Further Fueling Breakup Rumors