WASHINGTON _ Liuba Grechen Shirley attracted national attention when she persuaded federal election officials to allow her to use money she raised for her 2018 congressional campaign to pay for baby-sitting expenses.
She still lost her 2018 House campaign. So did the six other women with children under 2 who ran for Congress last year, she said, in spite of what has been universally recognized as a watershed moment for women in politics.
Shirley is convinced that's not a coincidence. So this week, she launched a political action committee aimed at helping mothers with young children run for office, calling it Vote Mama.
"There is no playbook for running for office with kids _ so I'm making one," Shirley said in a news release Wednesday announcing the venture. "Too often, moms with young kids are dismissed outright because we're seen as unviable _ and blocked from key early support that could help us win."
Only 25 women currently serving in Congress have children 18 or younger, compared to more than 100 men, according to numbers compiled by Vote Mama.
Shirley attributes that disparity to stereotypes about mothers that make it harder for women with young children to get the early support that can make or break a campaign. She cited a study from the Barbara Lee Family Foundation that found that voters still express concern over the ability of women candidates _ particularly those with young children _ to balance the competing priorities of their families and their constituents.
"Have you ever breastfed while preparing for a televised debate? Or made your daughter lunch while talking to a donor on the phone?" Shirley said in the news release. "When I decided to run for Congress last year, one of the hardest parts was figuring out how to do it with babies."
The FEC determination putting child care on par with other campaign expenses, announced in May, is expected to help by removing one barrier to middle-class parents determining whether they can afford a run for office. But unfair concerns about whether mothers can handle the grind of a political campaign and stint in office persist.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said those stereotypes can have lasting repercussions for female representation in Congress.
"Right now, a lot of moms wait until their children are grown before they run for political office," Warren said in the announcement release. "Because they wait to get started, it's harder for women to achieve leadership positions at the same rates as men."
Vote Mama, which Shirley said is the first PAC focused on supporting young mothers, will endorse progressive mothers who support abortion rights, paid family leave, and universal pre-kindergarten. It will also provide mentorship by connecting candidates with mothers who have run.
It will work with an advisory committee of female elected officials, including members of Congress, and leaders of organizations dedicated to electing women. The congresswomen on the advisory board include Reps. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., Grace Meng, D-N.Y., Kim Schrier, D-Wash., Gwen Moore, D-Wis., and Katie Porter, D-Calif.
