In their recent victory speeches, New Jersey Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill and Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger delivered powerful messages about the essential role of family support for working mothers in politics. Their remarks highlighted how personal and professional ambitions can coexist with motherhood when a strong support system is in place.
Sherrill Honors Her Husband’s Enduring Partnership
Governor-elect Sherrill opened her victory speech with an unconventional thank-you to her family. Instead of simply acknowledging campaign volunteers, she specifically thanked her husband, Jason, enumerating the many challenges they’ve overcome together: “through four kids, two dogs, a hamster, numerous goldfish, five campaigns, an insurrection, and two impeachments.” This lighthearted yet heartfelt tribute underscored how personal relationships provide the stability necessary for political ambition.
Spanberger Balances Family and Political Aspirations
Across the country, Governor-elect Spanberger echoed similar sentiments about family support. In her speech, she expressed deep gratitude to her husband, Adam, calling him her “partner in everything.” She then turned to her three daughters, delivering a relatable moment that highlighted the humor and teamwork involved in balancing career and family life. When one daughter joked about not cleaning her room, Spanberger playfully responded, “If I was working on it, we would not have won this election, okay?”
The Broader Impact of Family Support
Both speeches revealed a crucial truth about women in politics: success isn’t an individual achievement but a collective effort. Research supports this narrative. A 2023 study in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that women with strong family and partner support are significantly more likely to pursue leadership roles and report greater job satisfaction. Similarly, Harvard Business School research indicated that children of working mothers—especially daughters—are more likely to grow up confident and successful in their own careers.
These findings reinforce what Sherrill and Spanberger demonstrated in their speeches: political success for women requires a foundation of support that extends beyond professional achievements. It includes partners who understand the demands of public service, families that embrace rather than hinder working mothers, and households that accept the occasional messy bedroom or unmade bed.
Ambition and Motherhood Coexist with Support
Both Governor-elects sent a powerful message to working mothers nationwide: political ambition doesn’t have to come at the expense of family life. Their speeches showed that leadership roles can expand family pride rather than diminish it. They demonstrated that success in politics and fulfillment in motherhood are not mutually exclusive but complementary paths when supported by understanding partners and families.
As Spanberger quipped to her daughter, cleaning one’s room may seem like a small task, but when a parent is focused on governing a state, those household responsibilities fall by the wayside. The important thing is recognizing that ambition doesn’t require perfection—it requires support.
In highlighting the importance of family backing, Sherrill and Spanberger have shown that political success looks different when measured against a foundation of love and understanding. Their victory speeches may have thanked voters, but they truly honored the invisible network of support that makes women’s political ambitions possible
