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Politics of Parenthood

Politics of Parenthood Statewide

Politics of Parenthood
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Gubernatorial Representation: Moms of Minor Children

Gubernatorial Representation: Moms of Minor Children

8.4%

of Americans are currently represented by a governor who is a mom of minor children – in just 4 out of 50 states. One Republican and three Democrats currently serve. *

91.6%

of Americans are without a governor who is a mom of minor children, despite 18% of the adult population being moms of minors (according to U.S. Census data).

Vote Mama Foundation has compiled the first-ever dataset tracking the number of moms with minor children serving as governors across the United States. By analyzing the parental status of these statewide leaders, this research is filling a critical gap in representation research. This work builds on our groundbreaking Politics of Parenthood series and opens the door to new conversations about who holds executive power in this country.

Because caregiver status has never been systematically tracked for governors, there is no historical baseline, but this data will change that. It brings long-overdue visibility to the underrepresentation of moms in governor’s mansions and lays the groundwork for future research into parental representation in executive leadership.

*This data is current as of November 5, 2025, and includes representation from Governors-elect Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia who will be sworn into office in January of 2026

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