What Is the Role of First Ladies in US Elections?

Though it is an unofficial office, the First Lady has a great deal of influence and has evolved as the country has. The role of the First Lady in US elections depends on the first lady herself. She can have social sway and, thereby, political influence on behalf of the president, but this has developed and changed over time. This article will look at the evolving role of the first lady in the social and political fabric of the United States.

Being the president’s wife or female relative did not always come with a de facto title. The title’s origins are somewhat convoluted, with the title only entering the popular zeitgeist somewhere between the mid-19th and early 20th centuries.

Martha Washington, for instance, was often simply referred to as “Lady Washington.” This expressed the prestige that came with the role but also did not set any expectations as to a formal role for the wife of the president. Others were known as “Mrs. President,” “Mrs. Presidentress,” or “the president’s wife.”

A popular story for the origin of the title is that President Zachary Taylor first coined the term in an 1849 eulogy, referring to President James Madison’s wife, Dolley Madison. However, there is no record of this eulogy in existence today, leaving the story unconfirmed. Other scholars have popularized the idea that the title comes from another reference to Dolley Madison, this one in a play titled The First Lady in the Land from 1911.

Whether either of these theories is true is unknown, but it is known that whenever the title came about, the media helped popularize it. By the time of President Hoover and his wife, Lou, the shortened term “First Lady” was in existence, with its use becoming commonplace with Eleanor Roosevelt.

The Role of Early First Ladies

Martha Washington, the first first lady, set a precedent, as is to be expected for being the first on the job. She established that the president’s wife would serve as the social counterpart to the president, the hostess of the president’s home, and the manager of his social calendar.

One of the only ways for women to access political power before women’s suffrage was through marriage. This aligned with the strict societal gender norms of the time while also allowing women access to a position of power that was rare in the 18th and 19th centuries. Though the First Lady was responsible for managing the household of the president and organizing social functions, she was also able to have close encounters with many politicians and dignitaries.

Martha Washington began what was known as the Republican Court, a sort of emulation of the British royal court, which put the wives of important government officials among the most elite women in the new nation. Wielding this influence, the First Lady could strategically have political influence.

Dolley Madison, for instance, designed seating plans at social functions to segregate her husband’s allies from his detractors. She would then personally be able to charm those who were in support of her husband, ensuring their continued loyalty. Julia Grant, the wife of Ulysses S. Grant, did the same, using her social skills during formal functions to positively impact the perception of her husband’s administration, which was otherwise considered fairly unaffecting.

While some first ladies wielded their social roles as political power tools, some passed the power onto other female relatives. Abigail Filmore, the first lady from 1850-1853, did not enjoy social functions. However, recognizing the importance of a female host fulfilling this role, she sent her daughter, Mary Abigail, to attend formal functions in her stead.

Early on, the First Lady was perceived within the boundaries of her societally dictated norms, though she wielded covert power. However, as the 19th century rolled along, several first ladies began taking their roles into a more overt realm of power, sitting at the helm of projects that focused on deeper themes. While the role evolved as social norms did, the role of the first lady as the nation’s hostess remains.

Beginning in the early 20th century, several first ladies took a more active role within the office of the president. The First Lady began serving as a co-campaigner and contributed to several more concrete projects and causes.

Upon her marriage to President Grover Cleveland while he was in office, Frances Cleveland set a precedent for the first ladies to come. The White House wedding caused a media stir, making the new Mrs. Cleveland a celebrity.

Harnessing this power, Cleveland became a co-campaigner for both of her husband’s next presidential campaigns. This role is still relevant and signified the shift of the First Lady’s role from one of a hostess and housewife to that of a public supporter and champion of the president.

This role was made especially clear when, in 1919, Edith Wilson took over her husband’s schedule after he suffered a massive stroke. According to one Republican senator, she was “the Presidentress who had fulfilled the dream of the suffragettes by changing her title from First Lady to Acting First Man.”

Though Edith Wilson was never officially the president, her role exemplified the changing attitudes toward women and their public perception. Edith Wilson was a partner in the administration who understood and could carry out the president’s duties.

First ladies throughout the 20th century also increasingly began to select specific causes to support during their time in the White House. This ranged from Eleanor Roosevelt helping to draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a US Representative to the UN Commission of Human Rights, to Lady Bird Johnson’s championing of environmental protection, to Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign. First ladies of the United States were beginning to be seen as civil servants alongside their husbands or male relatives.

The first first lady to have an office in the East Wing of the White House was Rosalynn Carter. She was also the first first lady to hire a Chief of Staff, and under her, the Office of the First Lady was implemented in 1977. Since Carter’s time in office, the First Lady has served in a more official capacity as the equivalent of a federal officer, funded by the Executive Office of the President.

However, with that power came intense scrutiny. In CNN’s documentary series First Ladies, Harvard professor Leah Wright Rigueur comments that first ladies are supposed to be the “representation of Americans’ better selves.” This puts undue pressure on modern first ladies, particularly during election cycles.

Some first ladies, like Nancy Reagan, were criticized for being too domestic, even though Reagan was an accomplished actress in her own right. On the other hand, Hillary Clinton was shamed for being too independent and playing too strongly toward the image of the career woman.

With an ever-evolving society, it is no wonder that the role of the First Lady is ever-evolving as well. The women who have been first ladies are a reflection of the America that they represent. While before, a first lady like Dolley Madison would only be expected to have minimal education and serve solely as a skilled hostess, first ladies like Michelle Obama hold advanced degrees and have careers as lawyers in their own right.

Culturally and politically, the Office of the First Lady holds a lot of sway when it comes to elections and campaigns. They still represent the “feel” of a candidate’s campaign, whether for better or worse. Their styles, media presence, careers, and more can influence the American public when it comes to voting.

While the role of the first lady can further polarize American opinion on a presidential candidate, it can also help a candidate, as many women see themselves reflected in the first lady. Laura Bush, for instance, was a librarian in Texas public schools, and Rosalynn Carter was an account manager for Jimmy Carter’s peanut business. These are women who affect the voting population because they often reflect them.

First ladies, and possibly also first gentlemen, will continue to serve as mediators between the cultural and political sides of the White House and may evolve to become even more important public servants who humanize political campaigns in the future.