By Tori Zucco, Summer 2023 Collaborator at Power in Place
Photo by Gage Skidmore
Women make up 24% of Congress. A smaller number–7% of Congress–are mothers of children under 18.
Some mothers proudly claim their motherhood title while campaigning. Sarah Palin branded herself as a “hockey mom” in 2008 and made history as the first Republican woman to be on the vice-presidential ticket. In her 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton leaned heavily into her recent status as a grandmother. Two 2018 gubernatorial candidates, Krish Vignarajah in Maryland and Kelda Roys in Wisconsin, showed themselves breastfeeding in TV ads. Patty Murray has held a seat in the Washington Senate for 30 years after first campaigning as a “mom in tennis shoes.”
But what does “pulling the mom card” actually do? On one hand, it’s a moral appeal. We trust moms. They’re caring, nurturing, and we think that they’ll do what’s best for us. Pulling the mom card is an easy way to soften your image. Think about the mother figures in your life. Do you think they have your best interest at heart? Chances are, they probably do. In a world where politics is seen as a chess game of calculated moves by self-interested egos, publicly embracing your status as a mother helps you seem like a more comfortable choice.
Hillary Clinton pulling the grandma card during her presidential campaign helped humanize her. She’s been in the game of politics for a long time and, according to the BBC article “Hillary Clinton’s grandmother gambit,” has often come across as “cold and mechanical.” Embracing her status as a grandmother worked to soften her reputation. Grandma isn’t calculating. Grandma bakes you cookies. Grandma tells you to vaccinate your kids because she wants them to be healthy. She comes off endearingly cringey when she tells you to “Pokemon Go to the polls!” Grandma is familiar.
Pulling the mom card can also help you appeal to other moms. Historically, women have voted at higher rates than men, so mothers can be a powerful demographic. In 2018, Kelda Roys made a plea against gun violence at a Democratic Party state convention. She told a story in which her three year old child was taught an active shooter drill in the form of a game at her preschool. I find that horrifying to hear about as someone who doesn’t have children, so I can only imagine the impact that it would have on people with kids her age.
None of this is to say that women embracing their motherhood status is purely a strategic move. Because, in reality, it is not a golden ticket to winning the hearts of every voter. We still live in a world where women are expected to do the majority of childcare. There exists a double standard: mothers who run for office appeal to us because we feel they will take care of us, but we simultaneously worry about their ability to take care of their children. Voters have questions: who is taking care of the children while she works? Will she be able to raise her kids properly if she’s committed to public service? Will she be able to fulfill her duties in office if she’s dealing with her kids? What are her priorities and what will suffer?
Research shows that voters are aware of this double standard but continue to actively participate in it. The younger a candidate’s children are, the more skeptical voters become about her abilities to handle both duties. Research from the Barbara Lee Family Foundation finds that it is more important for women to speak to the public about their personal and family lives than men. If they do not address questions about their personal lives, doubt can fester about their ability to juggle their professional and domestic responsibilities. As soon as she steps into the public eye, a mother’s family life becomes the subject of public concern.
Why are we actively participating in this double standard? If voters acknowledge it exists, why aren’t we doing anything about it?
To end on a slightly higher note: an organization called Vote Mama is trying to make it easier for moms (and dads!) of young children to run for office. They’re pushing to enact policies that would allow candidates to use their campaign funds to cover childcare costs. As of 2023, 28 states have codified Campaign Funds for Childcare. Liuba Gretchen Shirley, the Founder of Vote Mama, became the first woman permitted to use campaign funds for childcare in 2018 while running to represent New York’s 2nd district. These policies minimize financial barriers that prevent low and middle income parents from running for office. Kids are expensive, and the average person doesn’t have the financial freedom to cover childcare costs if they’ve given up their job to campaign. But, if they can use campaign funds to help, running for office becomes more accessible. Hopefully, the work of Vote Mama will not only allow, but encourage more parents to run for office.
References
[1] “Campaign Funds for Childcare - Where We Stand.” Vote Mama Foundation. 2023. https://www.votemamafoundation.org/cfccstates
[2] Diaz, Jaclyn. “Why aren’t more moms running for office? One group is hoping to change that.” NPR. November 4, 2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/11/04/1133634546/mothers-running-for-office-election-midterm
[3] Eggert, Nalina. “Female politicians and babies: a lose-lose situation?” BBC News. August 2, 2017. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-40800687
[4] Gibson, Caitlin. “A record number of congresswomen are mothers. Here’s a glimpse inside their first-ever caucus.” The Washington Post. April 1, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/on-parenting/a-record-number-of-congresswomen-are-mothers-heres-a-glimpse-inside-their-first-ever-caucus/2019/04/16/b563b964-5c77-11e9-842d-7d3ed7eb3957_story.html
[5] Neklason, Annika. “Moms Running for Office Are Finally Advertising Their Motherhood. July 23, 2018. https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/07/midterms-2018-mothers/565703/
[6] Zurcher, Anthony. “Hillary Clinton’s grandmother gambit.” BBC News. February 19, 2015. https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-31541469
Tori Zucco is a rising senior at Wheaton College Massachusetts majoring in Sociology with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. She is interested in social justice, reproductive justice, and writing. On campus, Tori works as a Peer Writing Tutor.