Democratic momentum kept picking up steam this September, and we’ve got just a little over one month left to make sure we sustain the enthusiasm. Heading into the 2024 Presidential Debate earlier this month, VP Kamala Harris was still trailing a point behind Donald Trump. While Trump pulled his usual tricks of lying, deflecting, and inciting division, Harris remained laser-focused on her plans to unite the country and improve the lives of everyday Americans and families. Now, the latest polling shows Harris leading Trump by 49-44%, which is a positive sign but still within the margin of error — so Democrats need to keep our eyes on the ball!

As we continue to build support for our Vote Mama candidates, we know that the work we’re doing on the ground for these moms will drive voter turnout and Democratic victories all the way up to Kamala Harris at the very top of the ticket. That’s why we’re so thrilled about the NEW ENDORSEMENTS we added this month: taking us from over 150 to a slate of now over 200 pro-choice Democratic moms in the 2024 election cycle!

Here’s a look at some of our September highlights!
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CANDIDATE SPOTLIGHT

Endorsed Vote Mama candidate Yvette Valdés Smith is running to flip New York State Senate District 39 from red-to-blue as she seeks to unseat GOP incumbent Rob Rolinson in this highly targeted — and FLIPPABLE — race. With registered Democrats in the district outnumbering Republicans at roughly 88,452 to 61,274, what makes this race a must-watch is that number was about the same when Rolinson won in 2022. That means this one’s a toss-up with extremely high stakes.

Yvette was raised in Puerto Rico, now living in Fishkill, NY with her husband and two sons. She is a former public school teacher and union member who currently serves as Minority Leader of the Dutchess County Legislature, as well as the Executive Board of Directors for Stony Kill Farm. She’s also on our Vote Mama Advisory Committee!

In her most recent role, Yvette has proposed key legislation for environmental protection and sales tax reduction. She’s a dedicated pro-choice women’s rights activist who has been endorsed by the Working Families Party and is fully committed to investing in working families by prioritizing climate solutions and gun safety, expanding mental health programs, and increasing school funding and youth service. We’re excited to cheer Yvette on in her fight to flip this seat from red to blue in November!

Michigan Secretary of State and Vote Mama Alum Jocelyn Benson spent nearly four years dealing with the fallout from the 2020 election in her battleground swing state — including defending her home from armed protesters after Michigan certified President Biden’s victory. In preparation for the 2024 elections, she is working hard to ensure clean, fair elections, expand voter access, and defend our democracy.

You’re invited to join Jocelyn in person at Vote Mama’s 5th Anniversary Celebration in New York City on October 9th! She’s a special guest along with Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05), Busy Phillips and Amanda Seyfried. To learn more and RSVP to this exciting event, click here! >>

Vote Mama’s Founder and CEO, Liuba Grechen Shirley, was featured in an article published this month by the San Francisco Chronicle applauding the wave of positive enthusiasm that Kamala Harris’ presidential candidacy is having on breaking barriers for moms running for office.

In the interview, Liuba talks about the gap in representation for moms of children under 18 in state legislatures across the country and how a primary reason for that is the challenges and costs of childcare. The piece highlights the work that Vote Mama Foundation is doing to get Campaign Funds for Childcare passed across the country, as well as the work that Vote Mama PAC is doing to get more moms elected. (You can read the full article here!)

In case you missed it, Vote Mama Foundation just released the newest report in its signature research series. Politics of Parenthood: Representation in State Legislatures 2024 found that while moms of minor children make up 18% of the adult population, we are just 7.9% of all state legislators. Moms of color with minor children are just 2.3% of state legislators, and LGBTQ+ moms are just 0.5%. We need to elect 736 more moms to reach proportional representation.

However, the data also gives us reason to be hopeful: since 2022, Vote Mama Foundation found a 49% increase in the number of moms of minor children in state legislatures. Our movement to elect moms is working, and we are grateful to have you in this fight with us. Here's the link to the full report if you've like to check it out!

We’ve got some exciting progress to share on Campaign Funds for Childcare (CFCC) — the critical resource that allows parents and caregivers running for office to use their campaign funds to pay for childcare. Vote Mama Foundation’s work getting this landmark policy passed has already succeeded in two-thirds of the country — and this month, Oklahoma and Arizona became the 34th and 35th states to make CFCC official!

We can’t wait to see the doors this resource will open for more trailblazing mamas who want to make a difference in their communities by running for office!

Before you go…

There are only a few weeks left until Election Day, and early voting has already begun in several states. It’s urgent that we expedite as much funding and resources as we can to our 200+ endorsed pro-choice candidates and their campaigns so that they can reach voters on time, especially as we gear up for GOTV efforts.

Expanding support for our candidates isn’t just crucial to winning elections in the key battleground states that these moms are running in — but our ability to increase voter turnout will also drive national Democratic victories all the way up to Kamala Harris at the very top of the ticket. So we’re counting on grassroots donors like you to step up right away and help us ensure that no stone is left unturned.

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