By Allie Chevance-Singh ‘25, Commentary Editor

Lawn Signs Endorsing Presidential Candidates “Kamala” and “Trump”, Courtesy of The Blue Deal and Republican Nations

As the presidential race enters its final months, prospective voters have been inundated with commercials, lawn signs, bumper stickers, and merchandise promoting the two candidates. Trump/Vance and Harris/Walz advertisements seem to be equally ubiquitous and generally similar in nature. Yet, when the two candidates are addressed in the press and public, one notable difference stands out- Donald Trump is typically addressed as “Mr. Trump”, while Kamala Harris is most often solely referred to as “Kamala”. Although etiquette rules generally dictate that more formal surnames be used as a sign of respect and decorum, the two presidential candidates have been addressed quite distinctly. 

Addressing a candidate by their first name may appear advantageous because it implies the candidate is approachable or relatable. However, it is hard to recall an election where the general public consistently addressed the potential future president as George, Bill, Mitt, or Barack. In both the current 2024 election cycle and the 2016 election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, however, the female candidates were consistently referred to as Kamala and Hillary. So far, this reference to candidates on a first-name basis seems to only be acceptable when a female candidate is running for president. 

On one hand, Vice President Harris’ adversaries likely refer to her as Kamala as a way to downplay her accomplishments and intellect, effectively portraying her as the less “presidential” candidate. By portraying Harris in this light, her political opponents depict her as the ‘less serious’ and ‘less qualified’ presidential candidate. In some cases, however, this depiction of Harris as the less respected candidate is unintentional. As quoted in Yahoo! News, social media influencer Brandon Lowe explains that “calling men in power by their last name and women in power by their first name is just natural” to him. Regardless of Lowe’s intentions, this claim sheds light on the inherent gender inequality in our society, where informal references to women in comparison to formal references to men are accepted.  Ultimately, even these subtle nods and distinctions build upon one another to create an environment where influential women like Kamala Harris are not held to the same level of respect as their male counterparts.

On the other hand, Harris’ supporters have followed suit in referring to her as “Kamala”, perhaps with the intent of trying to “soften” her image and eliminate any notion that their candidate may be viewed as too aggressive, unfeminine, or domineering– qualities often considered unfavorable for a woman. The Harris campaign itself has sometimes branded Harris as “Kamala,” hoping that voters form a “personal” connection with the candidate. This strategy, however, has enabled Harris’ adversaries to justify their informal references to “Kamala.” 

All candidates should be addressed in the same professional and respectful manner. It seems impossible that we would be comfortable formally addressing our male teachers as “Mr.” or “Dr.” at school while addressing our female teachers casually by their first names, unless the teacher themself requested another title. Whatever the reason for the distinction in nomenclature during this presidential race, maintaining consistency in how we address our male and female candidates — either both formally or both informally — will help ensure that, at least in name, the candidates stand on equal footing.