Don’t underestimate them: Suburban women are a driving political force, and they have been for decades.
We used to call them “soccer moms” — a term thrust into politics by Susan B. Casey during Denver’s 1995 municipal elections with her campaign slogan, “A Soccer Mom for City Council.” And by that, Casey simply meant that she was someone to be relied upon; she was someone’s neighbor, someone’s friend, and ultimately, someone who would be willing to go to bat for her loved ones.
“If I were a male, I probably would have said soccer dad, but it wasn’t meant to be an appeal to women,” Casey, who won her race that year, explained. “Soccer dads know that soccer moms are the same. Actually, the dads I know are worse than the moms and kids — they are much more involved.”
Since then, the term has changed in meaning, and the demographic it now describes has shifted in partisan alignment and grown in importance. Indeed, several early studies of the 2020 presidential election predicted that married suburban women were responsible for flipping several key counties that President Trump had won in 2016 back to the Democratic Party.
So, what is it about these female voters that attracts so much political attention? Well, these women are typically white, highly educated, upper-middle-class, married women who not only influence each other, but influence their husbands, church groups, and communities.
They’re still considered swing voters, which means they’re less likely to be tied to a specific candidate or political party than they are to an idea. This year, they leaned toward Biden, but not out of enthusiasm for the man. For example, if you take a drive through a local suburban neighborhood, you’ll probably see more yard signs that read “Follow the science” or “We support USPS” than outright pro-Biden signs.
My guess is that most soccer moms would remain politically uninvolved if they could. Dance lessons, block parties, and school fundraisers are much more interesting — and, believe it or not, have much more of an impact. But because politicians have decided to intrude into their day-to-day lives, suburban women have decided to give it right back. Best of luck to the politicians who get in their way.
