Oklahoma Mothers Running for Office Can Fund Childcare—But Barely Anyone Knows

Here’s a problem that sounds simple but hits different when you’re living it: trying to run for political office while keeping your kids fed, picked up from school, and not traumatized by your complete absence.

In 2024, the Oklahoma Ethics Commission quietly approved something that could’ve been a game-changer—candidates and officeholders can now use campaign funds to cover dependent care costs. It was a response to a request from former Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, aimed at leveling the playing field for parents, especially mothers, who carry the bulk of childcare responsibilities. Sounds smart, right? The problem: almost nobody’s using it, and plenty of candidates don’t even know it exists.

When Estefania Gruenstein ran for House District 85 this year, she had no idea the option was available. She juggled door-knocking with daycare pick-ups, filled gaps with babysitters at $15 to $20 an hour, and sometimes just brought her 2-year-old son, Charlie, along on the campaign trail. She didn’t win the June primary—but had she known about the childcare provision, things might’ve looked different. Nationally, it’s the same story. Between 2018 and 2025, candidates spent just $700,000 in campaign funds on childcare across all states, according to the Vote Mama Foundation. Oklahoma candidates and representatives spent just over $3,200 through 2025.

A few have figured it out: Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, used it for her re-election bid. So did Kinsley Jordan, who won the June 16 primary for District 40. Rep. Michelle McCane, who’s represented District 72 in East Tulsa since 2024 and is raising two children as a single parent, spent about $1,500 on childcare in 2025 and another $320 in the first quarter of 2026. She’s also the first woman to hold that seat.“Oklahoma’s not really great,”she said,“about people knowing how things work and what the requirements are.”McCane figured it out because she was a librarian and knew how to research election finance laws—a luxury not everyone has.

The stakes couldn’t be clearer. Women hold just 35 of 149 seats in the Oklahoma Legislature. Nationally, mothers of children under 18 represent less than 8% of state legislators; in Oklahoma, it’s less than 5%. Caregiving obligations are the third-most cited reason women leave legislative office, after running for higher office or retirement. When Trish Ranson, now a state representative and state director for Women In Government, had young children and aging parents to care for, running a campaign felt impossible. She didn’t run until her kids were older.“It doesn’t take the whole weight off of someone’s shoulders,”she said of the childcare provision,“but it does help.”

The provision exists. The law is there. But without active outreach and awareness, it’s just another invisible safety net that only reaches people lucky enough to stumble across it—and that’s not how you build a more representative legislature.