GOP Messaging Fails Women and Independents, Activist Says

Republican candidates are failing to connect with women and independent voters because their messaging relies on aggressive tactics that these groups reject, according to conservative activist Heather Higgins. Higgins, the CEO of Independent Women’s Voice, made the assessment during a recent appearance on the podcast “Pod Force One.” She stated that the party’s current communication style often feels like a sledgehammer, telling voters exactly what to think rather than allowing them to form their own conclusions.

Higgins cited data showing that women vote at a rate 10 percentage points higher than men. Despite this, she noted that Republican messaging frequently ignores this larger slice of the electorate. She explained that women object to being told what to think, a dynamic that makes standard Republican advertising ineffective. The same frustration exists among men who self-identify as independents. Higgins said data confirms that these voters do not want to be instructed. They require a different mode of communication that allows them to make up their own minds.

The criticism lands as Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy faces backlash over a specific campaign ad. The advertisement features Donna Arthur, the long-estranged mother of Democratic opponent Amy Acton. Arthur calls her daughter a liar and urges Ohioans not to vote for Acton. Acton stated that Arthur’s husband sexually abused her when she was a child and that Arthur stood by the alleged abuser. The ad drew criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Acton’s brother accused Ramaswamy of turning the sexual abuse Amy endured at age twelve into a political talking point.

Higgins used the Ohio race to illustrate a wider problem in the upcoming November 3 midterm election. She argued that the left has also failed to focus on women’s issues in this cycle. She suggested this may be because the left can no longer define what a woman is, leaving them without a clear suite of issues for that demographic. Consequently, there is an absence of targeted messaging on both sides of the aisle.

According to Higgins, women tend to engage with politics later in life and primarily when issues feel urgent. They do not respond well to fear-based messaging. Instead of reacting to slogans about socialists, women resonate with questions about fairness and specific benefits or harms to their families. Higgins said that structuring arguments around who is being harmed and what the direct impact is on the voter’s loved ones is more effective.

Higgins pointed to President Donald Trump and former President Ronald Reagan as examples of effective communicators. She noted that both men started as Democrats and understand the power of empathy and narrative. She contrasted this with the typical Republican candidate, often a policy expert, lawyer, or business leader who relies on facts and data. Higgins argued that these candidates often lack the ability to express emotion, a gap that Trump fills by using extreme emotional language and telling voters he loves them.

She asked listeners to consider how many Republican politicians they have heard say they love voters. She stated that it rarely happens. Higgins believes that the power of connection and story is largely missing from the current Republican field. She clarified that this does not mean other candidates do not care, but rather that expressing care is not part of their natural pattern. Trump, by contrast, expresses it constantly.