Women and Politics

Is it possible for a woman to have a successful political career and children? Many women over the years have answered this with a resounding YES! One inspiring example of a mother serving public office is Kristi Thibaut.

As the Houston Chronicle reports, Kristi had plans to adopt a child as she began her bid for the Texas House of Representatives in late 2007. However, to her surprise and delight, she soon discovered she was pregnant. With the support of her husband, Mark, Kristi continued her candidacy, gave birth to her son, Christopher, in June, and was elected in November 2008.

“I was as hysterical as anybody in that position would be,” she recalled. She’d been fearful she would disappoint supporters and contributors who might think she no longer was game for political combat.

But game, she was. Staying in a small apartment in Austin and keeping Christopher at their home in Houston has been difficult, but Kristi and her husband have been able to make it work. And good thing, because Kristi works hard. The Texas Observer says that Kristi has a reputation for tackling issues head-on:

Her genial manner and Bay City drawl—not to mention her new motherhood—might not strike terror in the hearts of legislators and lobbyists who stand in her way. But they might want to pay heed to her blunt manner of speaking the truth. Or take a long gander at her resume, where they’ll find that this progressive activist was also the founding executive director of the Texas Youth Hunting Association.

A strong proponent of reproductive justice, Kristi also works on education, health care, taxes, and crime. While the path to office can seem especially daunting for women with children, I hope stories like Kristi’s will help empower and motivate more women to barrel through the obstacles before them.

If you know a women who should run for public office, tell her She Should Run!

Tags: children, kristi thibaut, mother, texas, Women and Politics