The Mother PAC is a grassroots political action committee that mobilizes mamas and caregivers to participate in the political process and supports candidates who will fight for our families; particularly those who are mothers and caregivers and/or identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color.
We believe that in order to build a system that works for us—moms, caregivers, and our families—we need to elect leaders who understand the things our families need. That’s why, for over ten years, The Mother PAC has worked to get more mamas, caregivers, and people of color elected to office in Oregon, and worked to advance issues that support racial, gender, and economic justice.
Depending on the particular election cycle, we get involved in races across the state, ranging from local city or county seats all the way up to the Governor’s office.
Endorsement Process
Our Endorsement Committee, which includes mothers and caregivers from our sister organization Family Forward Action’s grassroots leadership teams, represents a range of identities.
Committee members develop candidate questionnaires and hold in-depth interviews with candidates in races that will have an influence on our feminist, antiracist, economic, and reproductive justice goals. Candidates are given the opportunity to describe their position on the issues most pressing for moms, caregivers, and our families—like the need for universal child care, reproductive health care access, protection against discrimination, an end to police brutality and state-sanctioned violence against communities who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and/or people of color, and more.
Endorsement interviews usually take place in-person, and are an opportunity for moms and caregivers to have their voices heard and their top issues centered. Following interviews, the Committee decides which candidates The Mother PAC will endorse, and from there, which candidates to prioritize with volunteer time and the PAC’s financial resources.
Our grassroots and multilingual Endorsement Committee’s membership shifts every election cycle, so that more moms and caregivers have an opportunity to engage with candidates, discuss the issues that matter to them, and decide which candidates should receive organizational support.
Candidate Education
We want to make sure that once elected, the candidates we endorse stay true to the commitments they made—commitments to fight for moms, caregivers, and our families. That requires making sure they deeply understand the issues we face.
Starting with the endorsement interviews, we bring these issues to the forefront of elected leaders’ agendas. We also provide additional training to demonstrate how certain issues, like child care and paid leave, are directly connected to racial, gender, and economic justice.
Candidate Support
In addition to providing each endorsed candidate with The Mother PAC’s Seal of Approval and encouraging The Mother PAC’s community to support those candidates with their votes, we also pool resources and time to support the candidates who need us. Sometimes that includes canvassing, phonebanking, or text-banking, or other types of promotion like social media ads or direct mail. Other times, it’s encouraging our supporters to get involved directly with a campaign.
Together, we’re building a future—and system— that works for mothers, caregivers, and the families who rely on us.
