Life
While the 2020 election has demonstrated just how divided the country remains on a number of important issues, it also has highlighted that voters value multitasking, cut-through-the-nonsense candidates. Like the many moms who were elected to office in 2020 on both sides of the aisle.
The 2020 election saw the re-election of several mothers in office, including Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who once credited her five grown children in an interview with The Washington Post with helping her become a better politician.
Members of "The Squad" were also victorious on Tuesday. Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who has two young sons who famously dabbed in the House when she cast her vote for Pelosi in 2018, and Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who has talked about importance of her role as a "Bonus Mom" to her stepdaughter Cora, were both re-elected. So was Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has previously said how she's been inspired by her teenage daughter to be proactive in politics. Georgia Rep. Lucy McBath, who lost her only son, 17-year-old Jordan Davis, when he was shot and killed by a white man in 2012, will also serve another term.
Voters also selected a number of newer names who happen to be mothers as well. Here's a look at who's been elected.
Teresa Leger Fernandez
Teresa Leger Fernandez, a native of northern New Mexico and Democratic attorney, was elected to represent her home state for the first time as a U.S. Representative in the state's 3rd District. As a mom of three grown sons, Fernandez wrote on her campaign website that she's a politician "who wants our state to build a dynamic and innovative economy that creates fulfilling, well-paying jobs for all our kids here in New Mexico."
Mary Miller
Republican Rep. Mary Miller is a mom of seven and grandmother of 17, and now will represent the 15th district of Illinois in Congress. According to her campaign website, she's pro-life, pro-second amendment, pro-border security, and also a supporter of President Donald Trump.
Cori Bush
A single mom of two, a nurse, and a Black Lives Matter activist, Cori Bush made history on Tuesday as Missouri's first Black Congresswoman. During her campaign, among other issues, Bush promised to eradicate "hateful discrimination and enact federal policies that protect & uplift ALL people," according to her campaign website, in addition to enacting policies that would address extreme inequality and poverty to "ensure our basic needs are met."
Marjorie Taylor Greene
Marjorie Taylor Greene is a mom of three grown children and a newly elected Republican Congresswoman in Georgia. Her campaign centered on finishing President Trump's border wall, fighting against "Red Flag gun confiscation," and co-sponsoring anti-choice legislation, the "Life at Conception Act."
According to The New York Times, Greene has been the center of controversy after promoting elements of QAnon conspiracy theory on a "baseless belief that President Trump is fighting a cabal of Satanist child-molesting Democrats and deep-state bureaucrats who seek global domination. Most were running for reliably Democratic seats."
Maura Hirschauer
As a Democrat, Maura Hirschauer, a mom of three daughters and former teacher, was elected to serve as a member on Illinois' House of Representatives. She's a member of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and supports common sense gun reforms "to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people like convicted criminals and domestic abusers," according to her campaign website.
Martha Paschke
Martha Paschke is a fellow first-time Congresswoman from Illinois and mom of three, as well as a doula and a Girl Scout leader. The Democrat's campaign focused on issues like common sense gun reform, access to preschool for all children, and addressing the maternal mortality crisis.
Maria Elvira Salazar
Maria Elvira Salazar was raising her two daughters in her hometown of Miami and working as a journalist before running for office in 2020 and on Tuesday, she won her bid to become a U.S. representative in Florida for the Republican party. She ran on an anti-socialism platform to address issues like protecting health care for people with pre-existing conditions and securing federal funding to tackle the threats of climate change in Miami.
