In the middle of all the election excitement, we often come up with catchy names for groups of voters who have a big say in shaping the future. Remember terms like soccer moms, security moms, and NASCAR dads? Well, now there’s a new group called the “mama bears.”

I proudly identify as a mama bear, and I can tell you that this movement is really powerful and inspiring. We, as conservative moms and grandmas, have joined forces under the idea of “parental rights,” standing up passionately for what we believe in. One of our key concerns is about talking about gender identity in school lessons. It’s nice to see that even though some people have unfairly called us extremists, we’re catching people’s attention because of our unity and commitment. Despite these misunderstandings, our impact is strong, and we’re becoming important voters in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

What’s really cool is that our hard work is getting noticed. Even Donald Trump himself recognized us, saying that groups like Moms for Liberty are teaching the liberal left a lesson: “Don’t underestimate America’s moms.” Ron DeSantis also got it right when he said the recent “woke” policies unintentionally woke up a powerful political force: us mama bears. It’s awesome to know that our voices are being heard and making a difference.

One person who really speaks to us is Casey DeSantis. She started the initiative “Mamas for DeSantis” from early-voting Iowa. She gives credit to moms and grandmas like us for her husband’s success as Florida’s governor, securing a second term. Casey believes we’ll have the same impact as her husband runs for president, and that’s really encouraging.

In one of her recent talks, Casey DeSantis shared funny stories about raising her kids in the governor’s house – like tales of slime accidents and crayon drawings on the walls. Her words meant a lot to me and other mama bears when she said, “When policies start affecting us as mothers, it’s concerning. But when those policies put our children at risk, our strong protection instincts kick in.”

The mama bears are an amazing group that stretches across the country, bringing together conservative women from all different backgrounds. Many of us are white, and some are part of well-known groups like Moms for Liberty, which has a big membership of 120,000 people all over the country. Others, like me, stick to our own beliefs and principles.

We became well-known during the COVID-19 pandemic, when we got a closer look at what our kids were learning. Our numbers grew because we were worried about the government going too far and about policies that didn’t sit right with us. This happened especially after Joe Biden won against Trump in 2020.

So, we stood against schools closing due to the pandemic and against rules about wearing masks. We also argued against programs in schools that talked about things like fairness and diversity, and we pushed to get rid of books we didn’t agree with, like ones that talked about LGBTQ topics. We went to a lot of meetings where school decisions are made, like school board meetings, and we strongly said we didn’t want certain things taught to our kids. Some of us even became candidates for school boards ourselves to support our beliefs.

Many mamas didn’t really care about politics until the pandemic happened. That’s when we first got frustrated about wearing masks and doing school online for our kindergarteners and started asking questions because we were NOT happy with the answers.

And then, when our schools allowed transgender students to use bathrooms based on their chosen gender, a lot of us decided to do something. We took our kids out of public school and started groups like Moms for Liberty started popping up all over the country. Seeing other moms get involved in politics was really encouraging for all of us.

Like Geralyn, the founder of Moms for Liberty, I also supported Trump in 2016 and 2020. It’s amazing to see that he, along with many other 2024 candidates, wanted to talk to Moms for Liberty and moms like me. We had meetings where we all talked, and there were always more people wanting to join than there were spots available.

With a lot of confidence, Geralyn said, “I really believe we’ll be the voice that everyone wants to hear in the next election.”

The Mamas for DeSantis event was really heartwarming. There were games for kids, and parents talked about important things. Parents held their little ones close, showing how family is a big deal for us. The DeSantis campaign even made shirts and bags that say “Mamas for DeSantis” to help spread our message.