In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of mothers serving in state legislatures, but they still remain underrepresented.
A new study by the Vote Mama Foundation reveals that close to 8% of state legislators around the country are mothers.
In New Mexico, that number is nearly 10%. There are now 11 moms with minors in the state legislature, up from nine in 2022. That represented an increase of 22%. But the state still needs 10 more moms to reach proportionate representation. It’s not alone. No state has reached that goal, according to the study.
Vote Mama said about 18% of women in the United States are mothers with minor children. There is no state legislature with 18% of its lawmakers who are mothers with minor children. California is the closest with 17.5%.
The report defines mothers as cis, trans, or non-binary parent with biological, foster, adopted or stepchildren who are under 18. They included state legislators who use she/her and they/them pronouns.
“We found in states like Minnesota, the second highest representation of moms in the country, has passed things like paid leave and preschool meals for students, led by and informed by the moms in the legislature that brought their lived experience to the decision making table,” said Sarah Hague, chief program officer at Vote Mama Foundation.
She said more moms are running for office because policies have been failing them and their families.
“There's this problem that my family is facing, that my kids are facing, that my community is facing, that I can solve, that the current policy makers aren't seeing as a problem because their lived experiences don't align with that of their districts and of their communities,” she said.
However, 20% of those legislative moms nationwide have left office since 2022. Hague said this could be related to caregiving obligations which lawmakers cited as a major reason for leaving.
This is certainly true for New Mexico State Sen. Siah Correa Hemphill (D-Catron, Grant & Socorro) who announced in June that she will not be running again.
“You always feel guilty because you can't be there all the time with your children, and you feel like you're a failure as a mother,” she said. “You feel like a failure in the workplace, because you're constantly having to spread yourself so thin trying to address your kids' needs and be the best employee, and it's just impossible to always to ever have a balance, a true balance.”
New Mexico’s legislators are not paid a salary and only receive per diem for expenses.
“I think it puts legislators in a really vulnerable position not having a salary,” said Hemphill.
Hague said when moms are at the table, they bring different priorities.
“If we want to change our policies, we have to change our policy makers,” she said.
Support from the coverage comes from the Thornburg Foundation.
