Eligibility &
Endorsement Process
Who is the “Mama” in Vote Mama?
Mamas are self-identified.
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Mamas can be cis women, trans women, nonbinary and gender nonconforming people.
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Mamas are primary caregivers for biological children, foster children, step children, and formally or informally adopted children under the age of 18, or children of any age with a disability.
Mamas are committed to progressive values and passing legislation that works for ALL families.
Vote Mama 2025 / 2026 Political Strategy
In 2025 and 2026, Vote Mama’s endorsement strategy is specifically focused around supporting candidates running for federal or statewide office (including candidates for governor), candidates running for the Virginia House of Delegates, candidates running for the state legislature in the battleground states of AZ, GA, MI, NC, NV, PA, WI, and candidates running for school board. Our goal is to increase the number of Democratic moms serving at the federal level, defend the Democratic majority in the Virginia House of Delegates, expand, defend or flip state legislative chambers for Democrats in battleground states by electing Democratic moms, and expand, defend or flip school board races by electing Democratic moms. We also support previously endorsed Vote Mama candidates running for re-election.
What policies do the Mamas
endorsed by Vote Mama support?
All Vote Mama candidates must support our candidate pledge that ensures their commitment to advancing truly family friendly policies on the campaign trail and once elected.
Are you an eligible Mama running for office? If yes, click here to become a Vote Mama candidate.
There’s another Democratic mom in my race. Can I still be endorsed?
Vote Mama’s policy is not to endorse in Democratic primaries in which there is more than one mom running at the time of an endorsement request. We will happily consider endorsing in the general election.
Do I have to commit to all of Vote Mama’s policy priorities?
Yes. Vote Mama is committed to uplifting ALL mamas and working families, and our policy platform reflects that. Please read our candidate pledge here.
How early do you endorse candidates?
Vote Mama takes pride in endorsing and supporting mamas early - oftentimes months before establishment PACs throw their hats in the ring.
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In addition to the endorsement, are there other resources that Vote Mama provides?
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Fundraising Support: When able, we provide direct financial support to candidates, in addition to fundraising coaching. Unfortunately, fundraising is still the primary measure of candidate viability, and oftentimes it is the biggest challenge when running for office. We step in to disrupt the systems that hold mamas back.
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Coaching: We work with candidates and their campaign teams one-on-one to provide guidance around campaign plans, fundraising strategies, policy platforms, voter outreach and communication plans. We also address the challenges mamas face when running head on and how to optimize time management.
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Networking: We plug our mamas into the national Vote Mama network to ensure moms running for office feel supported and are not alone. Our candidates know there is a national network of moms cheering them on and who have their back.
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Mentorship: We connect candidates with mamas who have run before or are currently running for office. We know on the hardest days, it’s best to talk with someone who has been through it.
Will I receive direct financial support from Vote Mama if I am endorsed?
We prioritize financial support to our targeted states based on Vote Mama’s political strategy. Please reference our 2025 / 2026 political strategy above. Furthermore, due to campaign finance law restrictions, we are only able to consider making financial support to state and local candidates in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Washington, DC, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. We are unable to provide financial support to all candidates.
Endorsement Process
If you’d like to receive Vote Mama’s endorsement, and you meet our 2025/2026 eligibility criteria, fill out our endorsement application HERE.
Once submitted, you will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please try again or email us at info@votemama.org.
Mama candidates who are running for office and meet our endorsement criteria, including our targets based on level of office and state, may submit an online application to be considered for endorsement. Once an application is submitted, it is reviewed by our team to confirm the candidate’s eligibility and assess the policy stances of each candidate. We then extend an invite to participate in a 30-minute endorsement interview with a member of Vote Mama’s political team. During the endorsement interview, we seek to get to know the candidate, why they are running, their campaign strategy including fundraising and voter outreach efforts, and how they are making their campaign family friendly. After the endorsement interview, candidates are notified if they are endorsed and next steps in the process, including submitting endorsement materials needed for a public rollout.
In 2025, Vote Mama will hold two rounds for candidate endorsements - a spring round (Feb-April) and a summer round (June-August). Candidate applications will open in February and then again in June. For more information or to be added to the notifications list, email info@votemama.org.​