---
"title": "Pre-Palin Republican “Mommy Penalty”"
"description": "Republicans were significantly less likely to vote for a candidate who is a mother of young children than one who is a father of young children, other factors being equal."
"date": "2008-10-06"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "Russell Heimlich"
    "job_title": "Former web developer"
    "link": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/short-reads/2008/10/06/pre-palin-republican-mommy-penalty/"
---

# Pre-Palin Republican “Mommy Penalty”

A Pew Social Trends poll — taken this summer before John McCain’s choice ofSarah Palin as his running mate — found that Republicans are significantly less likely to vote for a candidate who is a mother of young children than one who is a father of young children, other factors being equal. Barely one-in-five (21%) Republicans said they were very likely to support a hypothetical candidate for U.S. Congress who was the mother of school-aged children, while 31% said they would support a father who had the identical personal and career profile. Among Democrats, gender and parenthood had the opposite effect: Democrats were significantly more likely to vote for a candidate for Congress who is the mother of small children than to support an identical candidate who is the father of small children (33% vs. 24%).[Read More](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/pubs/950/mommy-wars)