“Fake is not a strategy for you”: Unpacking expectations of authenticity for women political candidates

Authenticity has been studied from multiple perspectives within public relations. Yet, little research explores authenticity as it relates to the communication practices and expectations of women seeking political office. Grounded in the work on political authenticity (Luebke, 2021), this ethnographic project focused on how women candidates perceive authenticity as part of their campaign strategy. Women, particularly women of color, may not feel like they can be authentic to themselves and consistent with expectations developed based on candidates whom they do not look like or sound like, creating an authenticity paradox. For women candidates, especially at a local level, authenticity in action may feel more demonstrable, less manufactured, and more in alignment with self, resolving some of the tensions inherent in a typically male-dominated arena and allowing for greater vulnerability. As such, we propose reconsidering running for office through the lens of authentic community engagement, drawing upon Johnston and Lane’s (2019) Authenticity Matrix, which focuses on respecting diverse perspectives, ensuring feedback loops, providing space for community voices, and investing relationally.