On Sunday, Hillary Clinton released a video announcing her much-anticipated decision to run for president. This will be the second time Clinton tries for the Democratic nomination, and the odds are in her favor to receive it.

There was not much surprise regarding her announcement; it was more of a matter of when, rather than if. Unless another Barack Obama shows up and steals support from her, Clinton will likely be the democratic nominee. As a woman, Clinton will have to fight certain battles that her male counterparts will not even have to consider. But before that happens, Republicans can, and should, choose to rise above it. Republicans, here is your chance to actively fight sexism on a large scale. 

It would be easy to make the presidential election solely about Clinton’s two X chromosomes. Don’t. There is more to Clinton than her sex, just like there is more to the Republican Party than homophobic rednecks.

Republicans should keep all forms of sexism out of their campaigns, from the beginning to the end of elections, and see the newfound respect they will gain from doing so. Petty insults about a woman’s pantsuits have no place in a presidential election. 

Plenty of people from both parties have negative opinions of Clinton. There is a good chance that Republicans will use Clinton’s sex, as well as her personality, to promote the idea that she is hostile, bitchy and weak.

There is a great opportunity for the Republican Party to run a campaign that fights hard but not nasty. Leaving sexism behind during the election would set an example for the generations to come that a difference in party does not give permission for inappropriate dialog about either candidate. Taking this stance would help promote voting based on a person’s actual ability to do a good job in office, instead of who slaughtered the other candidate more effectively. It would be more than one step in the right direction toward gender equality as well as a better relationship between political parties. 

Over the past few days on Twitter “#WhyImNotVotingForHillary” has been trending. While some thoughts were not entirely awful, many of the tweets expressed that they will not be voting for Clinton because of her looks, clothing or age.  Also, many referred to her genitalia in derogatory terms.

Of course plenty of the statements were meant to be funny, but the particular subjects of some of the jokes make it a cause for concern. This is exactly the conversation that was to be expected—and that Republicans should avoid, not because it is in the Democratic Party’s best interest but because it is in the country’s best interest. 

What Republicans do during this election can shape the next years in an extreme way. They could rise above the jokes and criticisms that have nothing to do with Clinton’s actual ability to lead the country and instead fight her policies which with they disagree.

Republicans, you have the power to shut down sexism in this campaign and show that there is no tolerance for it in politics, or elsewhere. Don’t make the presidential race about sex, and there will be no grounds for accusations of Republican sexism.