Women have been in Congress for more than a century. Jeannette Rankin of Montana was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives in 1916, only two years after the state of Montana gave women the right to vote.

Today, women make up just over a quarter of the 117th Congress—the highest percentage in U.S history. A record 120 women are serving in the House and 24 seats are being held by women in the Senate.  Despite these accomplishments and the success of working moms in other industries, mothers in public office face unique challenges. In particular, female candidates are questioned far more frequently than their male counterparts about their ability to serve constituents and their family at the same time. On top of their policy positions for office, female candidates have to address and respond to questions about the nature of their home and family lives.

In 2018, Senator Tammy Duckworth became the first to give birth while in office. The arrival of her baby Malie added her to only 10 women who have given birth while serving in Congress. Just weeks after having her baby, Senator Duckworth made history when she brought her daughter to the Senate floor to vote. That same year, Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Kelda Roy and Maryland gubernatorial candidate Krish Vignarajah breastfed their children in their campaign ads—breaking the standard candidate ad.

Recently, the Covid-19 pandemic has left many working mothers juggling professional obligations with childcare, online learning, and more. In a podcast with CNN's Dana Bash, Senator Duckworth spoke of the challenges of being a mom while working from home—balancing committee hearings, rushing home for school class meetings, and making it back to the capitol in time for voting. Representative Nancy Mace shared how she’s had to share her home office with her sixth grader in the midst of a campaign so they could do online school. Representative Ashley Hinson talked about managing her two elementary schoolers over zoom and trying to figure out passwords for the different platforms, all while trying to flip a House seat!

Despite the challenges of the pandemic and the fast-paced environment of politics, this election cycle saw  27 women newly elected to the House, 19 of whom are mothers. In the Senate, the numbers were similar, welcoming 24 new female senators, including 18 mothers.

This Mother’s Day, we want to celebrate mothers in every season of life, and we want to express a special thanks for the women serving at every level of government who are continuing to the pave the way as mothers, leaders, and public servants.