Getting moms into office with Liuba Grechen Shirley

A Q&A with the founder of Vote Mama

Connect with Liuba: Vote Mama on Instagram // Liuba Grechen Shirley on Instagram // Vote Mama PAC website // Vote Mama Foundation website

Liuba Grechen Shirley is the Founder and CEO of Vote Mama, an interconnected trio of organizations dedicated to electing mothers, transforming the political system, and advancing family-friendly policies. Liuba's career highlights include her historic congressional campaign for New York’s 2nd District, where she achieved the highest vote share of any Democrat against the incumbent in 25 years and raised over $2 million without corporate PAC money. And she made history as the first woman to receive federal approval to spend campaign funds on childcare. Liuba resides on Long Island with her husband and three children. The organizations she oversees aim to elect mothers, transform the political system, dismantle barriers for mothers running for office, normalize candidacies of mothers with young children, and promote family-friendly legislation.

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You founded Vote Mama in 2019. Tell us a little bit about the organization, what inspired you to start it, and how your movement has evolved since its inception. 

Our policies have been failing women and children for generations. We’re one of just seven countries without paid family leave. We have the worst maternal mortality rate in the industrialized world. Childcare costs more than college in many states, and more than half of Americans live in childcare deserts.

Anytime I spoke about childcare or paid leave when I ran for Congress, someone would always say, “Ignore the women’s issues, and stick to the bread and butter issues.” We lose $121 billion a year because of the lack of childcare. We lose more than $22 billion each year because of the lack of paid leave. These ARE the bread-and-butter issues. 

Our policies fail mothers because we have so few moms in office. Legislators legislate on their lived experience. We have so few moms in office because our political system was designed for wealthy, older, white, landowning men. If we want to change our policies, we have to change our policymakers. If we want to change our policymakers, we have to change our political system, and that is what Vote Mama is doing. 

My motherhood was constantly questioned by the press, donors, and voters. I kept getting asked questions like “Who will watch your kids while you campaign?” When I first launched Vote Mama, someone asked me, “How many moms need to get elected before you feel successful?” I told them it wasn’t about the number, but the normalization of what it looks like to run and serve as a mom of young kids so that the first question you’re asked is not “But who will watch your kids?” but “Why are you running, and how can I help?”

Vote Mama is a comprehensive platform dedicated to increasing the political power of moms. Under this umbrella, Vote Mama Foundation​ is the leading source of research and analysis about the political participation of moms, and Vote Mama PAC endorses, funds, and mentors Democratic moms running for office up and down the ballot and across the country. Vote Mama Foundation is working to modernize state legislatures by breaking down barriers that prohibit moms from sustainably serving in office, advocating for policies like paid leave, proxy and virtual voting, on-site childcare, and family-friendly spaces with changing tables and pumping rooms. Since our founding in 2019, Vote Mama Foundation has worked to pass Campaign Funds for Childcare (CFCC) in 35 states and Washington, DC, and published groundbreaking research on the use of CFCC and the representation of moms in state legislatures and Congress. Vote Mama PAC has supported more than 500+ pro-choice Democratic moms running for office, from School Board to Senate, and our movement is just getting started.  

Why do you believe it's so crucial to elect more moms, specifically, when it comes to advancing truly family-friendly policies?

Democratic moms are trailblazers on countless issues, and our lived experiences make us uniquely qualified to lead. When it comes to passing truly family-friendly policies—whether it’s protecting abortion access, making childcare affordable, securing paid family leave, and ensuring our children receive a strong public education, moms are on the frontlines, and we’re the ones who understand firsthand the stakes. Electing more Democratic moms means we’re putting fierce advocates for family-friendly policies in the rooms where decisions are made, and that’s what will transform this country. The vision for a government that truly reflects the needs of American families and children begins with ensuring moms have a seat at every decision-making table, from School Boards to Congress, all the way to the Oval Office. It’s not just about representation—it’s about transforming the future of our country by putting those who know what’s at stake in positions of power.

What are some barriers that keep moms out of our political arena, and how does Vote Mama work to dismantle them?

Moms face an uneven playing field in American politics. According to Vote Mama Foundation research, just 7.9% of all state legislators and 6.8% of members of Congress are mothers with minor children. To put that into perspective, there are more millionaires in Congress than moms and there are three times more men named John serving in the U.S. Senate than moms with minor children. There are both structural and financial barriers that keep moms out of the conversation, out of office, and out of power. Some major barriers include the cost of childcare and inaccessible state legislatures that don’t pay legislators a living wage, among other things.

Building a representative government where moms are in the driver's seat is at the heart of our work.

Vote Mama Foundation has published game-changing data to highlight the structural barriers affecting moms to become the leading source of analysis and research on the political participation of moms. Vote Mama PAC is advocating for a future where nobody doubts that women are capable of being great legislators and mothers at the same time. We’ve elected moms up and down the ballot who are taking action to address these barriers by advocating for and passing truly family-friendly policies.

What advice would you give to mothers who are thinking about running for office?

My biggest advice is just run—your voice matters and you’re needed at the decision-making table. Moms are used to juggling a million things at once, and that skill set is invaluable in politics. You’re already advocating for your children, your community, and your family; running for office is an extension of all that. Surround yourself with a strong village of support and don’t hesitate to reach out to organizations like Vote Mama. We’re here to nurture you on the campaign trail and give you the mentorship and confidence needed to get over the finish line as you navigate the realities of running for office.

When I ran, I thought all legislators were smart and understood policies, even if we didn’t agree on that policy. What surprised me most was just how little so many of them knew. I chewed an entire box of Pepto the morning of my first debate. My Congressman had been in office since I was 12, and I was scared. As soon as he opened his mouth, my nerves left my body. He didn’t understand the policy, nor did he care how it affected the people in our district. If you care, if you can talk to people, and you can read, you’re more than qualified to run for office. Just do it. It’s not as scary as it looks. 

Do your kids ever give you “campaign advice,” and what’s the best or funniest tip they’ve shared?

When I ran for Congress, my kids were too little to give advice. During the campaign, my daughter, who was three at the time, came to a bill signing with me and asked why I hadn’t spoken yet. I told her it wasn’t my event, and she walked right up to the podium after the Governor spoke and asked me to pick her up. She gave her own little speech in her Peppa Pig dress, and that photo is my favorite from the whole campaign. To her, the norm was watching her mama get up and speak. She recently ran for 4th-grade class president and had no fear of speaking in front of the whole school. I did just ask them if they had any advice for me though, and they all broke into Hamilton lyrics.