Her research and teaching interests include women in politics, political parties, local and urban politics, race/ethnicity in politics, survey research, and political behavior and public opinion. Her current research examines how political party organizations and the behavior of party leaders, campaign donors, and other political elites affect who runs for and wins public office. She seeks to determine whether strong parties and active elites can promote greater equality in representation for traditionally underrepresented groups, particularly women. Her research has been published in Politics & Gender, Research & Politics, and The State of the Parties. She received her B.S. from Vanderbilt University and her Ph.D. from Princeton University.