Even in a year when women are expected to make strong political gains, there are no guarantees.

Beth Lindstrom, who came in third in the Republican primary for US Senate, and Gerly Adrien, who came in a close second in a Democratic primary for a state rep’s seat from Everett, explain why they ran for office and why they think they lost on CommonWealth’s Codcast, hosted by Democrat Jesse Mermell and Republican Jennifer Nassour.

Lindstrom says she faced both financial and political hurdles in her race against Geoff Diehl and John Kingston. She says she believes Massachusetts Republicans were open to her argument that she would back President Trump when he was right and oppose him when he was wrong, but she lacked enough campaign funds to get that message out.

Even in Massachusetts, she also faced long odds running as a moderate Republican in a GOP primary. She said Diehl, who won the primary with 55 percent of the vote, spent three years building his conservative base by leading the Trump campaign in Massachusetts and by appearing on supportive radio talk shows.

“How does a moderate woman ever get through a Republican primary?” she asked, noting that her views clashed with those in the GOP who are pro-life and Second Amendment absolutists.

Adrien, 29, says she felt like she was running against every politician in Everett, from the mayor on down to members of the school committee, all of whom came out in support of her opponent, incumbent Rep. Joseph McGonagle Jr. “Running against the whole establishment was tough,” she said.

Adrien nevertheless garnered 39 percent of the vote, 2 points behind McGonagle and 20 points ahead of the third candidate in the race, Steve Smith.

Nassour asked the two candidates whether they felt they fell victim to an old boys’ network in their campaigns.

Lindstrom says she didn’t feel as if an old boys’ network stood in her way, while Adrien recalled one instance when she was knocking on doors and was greeted by a woman who knew who she was. When Adrien asked whether she could count on the woman’s vote, the woman called out to her husband who told Adrien that McGonagle was a friend of the family and they would be voting for him.

“We’re still in that time,” Adrien said. “Her husband still spoke for her.”

BRUCE MOHL