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

National Journal
The women on Biden’s VP shortlist have changed the game
Abrams told Elle Magazine that she would “be an excellent running mate.” When Rachel Maddow asked Sen. Elizabeth Warren whether she would accept if Biden offered her the position, she said yes, adding that she’s “in this fight to help in any way that I can.” Former National Security Adviser Susan Rice told PBS that she would also “certainly say yes” if asked. “That struck me as an interesting twist,” said Jennifer Lawless, the Commonwealth Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia, referring to the open audition to be vice president. “We haven’t seen that from a woman or a man.”
Jennifer Lawless National Journal
Primaries
Primaries and primary reform
Is the U.S. presidential primary system really the best way to choose a nominee? Are we too reliant on campaign cash and media coverage? A renowned panel of political experts answers these questions and talks about incumbency, party politics, and primary reform.
Jennifer Lawless Miller Center Presents
Inside Higher Ed
No Room of One's Own
The American Journal of Political Science on Monday published a longer-term analysis of submissions and publications by men and women over the last three years, as part of a larger effort to understand publication patterns for authors from underrepresented groups. Co-editors Kathleen Dolan and Jennifer L. Lawless also examined the last few weeks, in particular, and found that submissions have picked up. To their surprise, 33 percent of submitting authors since March 15 were women, compared to 25 percent of authors over the three years studied. Looking at these recent submissions another way, 41 percent of the 108 papers had at least one female author -- slightly more than usual.
Jennifer Lawless Inside Higher Ed
Washington Times
Biden's running mate options sparks debate
Jennifer Lawless, a political science professor at the University of Virginia, said that studies have in general shown the choice of a running mate does not make or break a campaign, but they can do something Biden needs: generate a fresh dose of enthusiasm for a White House hopeful.
Jennifer Lawless The Washington Times
The Guardian
‘Opening a door that was closed too long’: the hunt for a female vice-president
Biden and Sanders, the last men standing, “don’t look the way the party looks”, said Jennifer Lawless, a professor at the University of Virginia and an expert on women in politics. “They don’t even look the way the primary field looked.”
Jennifer Lawless The Guardian
GoLocalProv
Top Political Scientists Weigh in on Cuomo’s Political Future
“It seems that Andrew Cuomo has exceeded expectations not only among New Yorkers but nationwide — and he’s basically the person that people are looking for for a sense of calm, cool, and collectedness that they don’t get from Donald Trump,” said University of Virginia Professor of Political Science Jennifer Lawless, when she appeared on GoLocal LIVE.
Jennifer Lawless GoLocalProv