Politics of Parenthood State Legislatures 2026: Why Representation Matters

Vote Mama Foundation began the Politics of Parenthood data series to answer one seemingly simple question: how many moms of young children are serving in elected office in the US? It turned out to be a difficult question to answer, as no public data existed at the time. Since we began tracking the parenthood status of elected officials in 2022, we have consistently found that motherhood is a critical yet often overlooked political identity at both the state and federal levels. In our most recent dataset, Politics of Parenthood State Legislatures 2026, we find that representation remains low for moms of young children in state legislatures, but we are seeing a positive increase in representation over time.

Findings

Our 2026 state legislature data shows that despite women making up 31% of all state legislators, only 8.3% of all state legislators are moms of minor children. Though representation remains low, this is a 59.1% increase since we started Politics of Parenthood in 2022.

Using state-level proportional representation as a benchmark, we found that only three states have achieved proportional representation of moms of minor children relative to the general population in the state: California, Virginia, and Nevada. To achieve proportional representation in all states, 630 more moms need to be elected to state legislatures across the US.

Proportional representation was determined by calculating the percentage of seats in a state’s legislature held by moms of minors. We then used state-level microdata from the US Census Bureau to calculate the percentage of adults in each state who are moms of minor children. Using the state-level population data, we were able to then compare the percentage of moms in each state to the percentage of moms serving in each legislature.

Why Does Representation Matter?

Political scientists have shown that having diverse perspectives in politics matters for policymaking outcomes. Research has shown a link between representation and political decision-making across a variety of contexts. Substantive representation is defined as the actions of a group on behalf of their own interests. Studies show that substantive representation can have an effect on the legislative decision-making of elected officials based on different identities, including race, class, and gender. A 2019 study found that between the years 1973-2013, members of Congress who were moms with children under 18 were more likely to sponsor legislation that addresses issues specific to parents and children compared to their counterparts with grown children or no children. A recent study by First Focus Campaign for Children similarly finds that lawmakers in the Congressional Mamas’ Caucus were more likely to sponsor or support legislation related to children’s well-being in the 119th Congress than their counterparts. 

To put it another way, legislators legislate on their lived experiences, and we believe that the lack of representation of moms with young kids means a critical perspective is missing from the decision-making table at all levels of government.

Conclusion

Research shows that moms bring a unique perspective to legislative bodies. In 2025, at least 29,000 bills passed by state legislatures became law, compared to 72 bills passed by Congress. With such a wide range of legislation proposed and enacted by state legislatures, it is clear that they are influential in the policies that affect everyday life.

While moms are severely underrepresented in state legislatures, our data shows a meaningful increase from 2022 to 2026. In addition to passing a wide variety of legislation across the country, state legislative positions are often vital stepping stones for politicians seeking higher office. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, nearly half of the 119th Congress is made up of former state legislators. This highlights how crucial it is to have diverse state legislative bodies to provide a strong springboard for representation at all levels of government. Continuing to elect more moms to state legislatures can create a pipeline for qualified, passionate mamas seeking higher office across the political spectrum. Having the voices of mamas at all levels of government is crucial for representing the needs of parents and caregivers everywhere.

This blog post is part of an ongoing series to understand motherhood as a key political identity. For more information, visit our Politics of Parenthood – State Legislatures homepage. Future blog posts in this series will examine the intersection of motherhood with other key demographic variables, including race, age, and partisanship.

Sources:

Pitkin, H. F. (1967). The concept of representation (Vol. 75). 

Bryant, L. A., & Marin Hellwege, J. (2019). Working mothers represent: How children affect the legislative agenda of women in Congress. American Politics Research, 47(3), 447-470.

https://campaignforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/02/First-Focus-Campaign-For-Children-2025-Legislative-Scorecard-FINAL-1.pdf

https://www.ncsl.org/resources/map-monday-former-state-legislators-in-the-119th-congress