FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 15, 2026
CONTACT: press@votemamalobby.org
New Bipartisan Law Makes Missouri the 41st State to Allow Candidates to Use Campaign Funds for Childcare
This progress follows years of Vote Mama Lobby advocacy; New law will also allow officeholders to spend privately raised campaign dollars to keep themselves and their families safe
JEFFERSON CITY — Vote Mama Lobby celebrates HB1871 becoming law on July 13, following bipartisan passage of the legislation in May. This law included an amendment by Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, a mom of three, to allow state and local candidates to use campaign contributions to pay for childcare expenses. Vote Mama Lobby has worked with Sen. Nurrenbern for years in Missouri as part of a nationwide campaign to get Campaign Funds for Childcare (CFCC) approved in all 50 states.
“Parents should have a voice in debates about all the policies affecting families’ day-to-day lives, from affordability to public safety to everything else. They can only get that seat at the table if the high cost of childcare isn’t a barrier to entering public service,” said Liuba Grechen Shirley, founder and CEO of Vote Mama Lobby. “I’m thrilled to see Missouri pass Campaign Funds for Childcare on a bipartisan basis, because improving representation and strengthening democracy shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Everyone benefits when moms and caregivers can fully participate in our political system.”
“I am proud of this bipartisan effort to ensure more working parents are able to run for office and serve their communities. Missouri working families are the backbone of our state, and it is vital to have their voices in our elected offices,” said Missouri Senator Maggie Nurrenbern (SD-17-Clay County).
New research released this year by Vote Mama Foundation highlighted how more than $700,000 has been spent nationwide by state and local candidates on CFCC between 2018 and 2025, with 58% of the funds being spent by women candidates. Of the top ten spenders on CFCC in this period, seven were women, and eight were people of color.
HB1871 also included another amendment allowing Missouri officeholders to use their privately raised campaign dollars on security expenses. A year ago, Vote Mama Lobby was the first organization to launch a national initiative to pass Campaign Funds for Security (CFS) in all 50 states. A 2025 Vote Mama Foundation report looking at CFS usage at the federal level found that campaign security spending spiked by over 7,000% over the past decade, compared to an increase in total campaign spending by only 389% in that same period. Missouri’s new law aligns state statutes with federal regulations, giving state officeholders the same allowance as federal officeholders.
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Background:
Vote Mama Lobby, a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization, is the leading authority working to build the political power of moms in all 50 states. The organization is working to authorize solutions to make state legislatures more family-friendly, electing moms up and down the ballot, and mobilizing a network of moms to take collective action. To learn more about Vote Mama Lobby, please visit https://votemamalobby.org/.
Vote Mama Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is the leading source of research and analysis on the political participation of mothers. The organization is making it easier for moms to serve by identifying the barriers that keep moms out of office, advancing nonpartisan reforms, and tracking the overall representation of parents in politics. Vote Mama Foundation produces and publishes original, data-driven research examining the representation of parents in Congress and state legislatures, Campaign Funds for Childcare, Campaign Funds for Security, and other critical supports. To learn more about Vote Mama Foundation, please visit https://www.votemamafoundation.org/.
According to Vote Mama Foundation’s research, 41 states have now approved Campaign Funds for Childcare, and 31 states have authorized Campaign Funds for Security.