Lessons from my Life as a Campaign Mom

When I was pregnant, I made lots of lofty vows to anyone who would listen about how our child would be raised – healthy food, no screen time, lots of free play and exercise, yada yada. And for a while, I kept up with those self-imposed demands.

Then my husband, Erik Blaine, was appointed judge and had to run for election.

Political campaigns are grueling. Long hours and tons of events are required. A typical campaign day involved a parade in the morning, door knocking all afternoon, a fundraiser in the evening, and phone calls and emails until bed. Meals are drive-thru or the local fish fry, where the closest thing to a vegetable is ketchup.

The logistics on the campaign trail get even harder with young children. You either need to constantly park them with babysitters, have the non-candidate parent miss events, or bring them with you. Overwhelmingly, we chose including our daughter Sabrina, making the campaign a family affair. And because a stroller is no match for the steep cliffs of a bi-level’s front steps, I opted for baby, er, kid wearing as my travel system of choice. I delivered signs while she napped in her car seat. She stayed out past a normal preschooler’s bedtime. She learned that IPhones play games, music, and Elmo videos on demand.

And as the dust settled, healthy homemade food returned, the TV got turned on a LOT less, and the Lillebaby CarryOn got removed from my car and placed back on the shelf with the hiking gear. I could have regretted veering from my parenting goals because the election did not turn out as we had hoped. I regret nothing.

When Erik was appointed, Sabrina was 18 months old. She turned 3 years old two weekends before the election. She was actively on the campaign trail for literally half of her life. Think about that. For literally half of her life, she saw how important democracy is and how much work goes into the electoral process.

Sabrina went places most 2-3 year olds never do. She was regularly the only person under 30 at political events. She met people who now will lead the county, state, and nation.

She saw Erik and I talking to voters about what judges and lawyers do. Every minute spent in a carrier when she wanted to run and climb was time when she saw me listen to others about their concerns about the justice system. Every TV show she watched had a background track of me phone banking or calling volunteers to coordinate upcoming events.

She learned a proper handshake. She learned to introduce herself. She practiced her alphabet on political yard signs.

She sang “Hallelujah” between houses. She passed out lit pieces and rang doorbells from over my shoulder. She introduced her daddy as “Judge Erik Blaine on the Common Peas Court.” She yelled at me, “Why didn’t you tell him the rest???” when a homeowner rushed us along.

She heard me tell Erik’s story. She heard me talk about the honors Erik has received and his dedication to his chosen work. She heard me talk about our bipartisan marriage and how important it is to keep the courts immune from politics. She saw me support Erik and stand by his side through thick and thin. She saw Erik endlessly give credit and gratitude to me and her for supporting him on this journey.

She heard me talk about her grandmother and great-grandparents escaping oppression in Communist Czechoslovakia, leaving everything they ever knew behind for a chance at the American Dream. She heard how her family did not have access to fair, open courts, could not practice their religion, and could not engage in even tepid political dissent without risking their freedom and even their lives. She heard how those experiences motivated her father to become the lawyer – and human being – that he is today.

If I went back in time and told Pregnant Me how many times I would take my preschooler to Taco Bell or how many hours of PBS Kids she would watch in a week, I would have defiantly decried such things as “Fake News.” But every vow I made before got superseded by one that was far more important – I vowed to show her that she has an obligation as an American citizen to be engaged in the political process. Her earliest memories will be of her entire family and an extended network of friends and supporters all working together and running a clean campaign.

Ironically, in losing the election, Sabrina will get to see the very best of American politics.

 She will watch Erik gracefully and peacefully hand over the keys to the courthouse to his former opponent. She will watch him protect the justice system by being its faithful steward during a period of transition he worked so hard to avoid. She will see that our American institutions of government are so much bigger than any one person. And in this era of tribalism and cult of personality politics, nothing could be more important than that.

I’d say that makes us all winners.

Guest Blogger: Sasha Blaine

I am a mama, wife, attorney, mediator, and avid Walking Dead fan. My daughter is a busy preschooler who loves dinosaurs, baby dolls, Sesame Street, and oddly enough, Caesar dressing. I am married to Erik Blaine, the best thing I got from law school hands down (GO FLYERS!!!). We love Dayton and its many unique community gems. I love volunteering in the community, especially for groups that help kids and families.