Gubernatorial Candidate Breastfeeds In Campaign Video, Proves Moms Get Sh*t Done

Kelda Roys is a mom, small business owner, attorney, and gubernatorial candidate

In her new ad for governor of Wisconsin, Kelda Roys breastfeeds her four-month-old daughter while recounting some of her political achievements. She’s a good reminder that the future of politics is female.

Roys is a mom, small business owner, lawyer, and former state representative. In the video, she’s discussing her successful efforts to ban the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles and sippy cups when her husband brings their daughter to her. Without missing a beat, Roys starts feeding her daughter while continuing to explain who she is as a candidate. She told Capitol Times that feeding her daughter on camera wasn’t planned. “Like most working parents around the state, I juggle a lot of things and responsibilities, and I wear a lot of hats,” she explained. “When we were shooting the video, my family was obviously there, and when the baby needs to eat I just feed her.”

We really loved her response to the question women always get: what if someone is uncomfortable about you breastfeeding your child? “Don’t watch the video,” Roys shared. “This is one way that babies get fed. It’s just a part of life. It’s a part of nature.” She went on to remind folks that women belong in politics just as much as men. “We have every right to have a seat at the table and run for office, even when we have young kids, just like men always have.”

Roys tells Scary Mommy a little more about running for public office as the mother of little ones. “Some people say I shouldn’t be running for governor because I’m a mom of young kids. In 2018 women are not going to be told to sit down and shut up anymore. My kids are my biggest motivator — I want to make the world better for them, which means fighting for public schools, affordable childcare and healthcare, gun reform, and addressing climate change.”

Roys has the same nonsense-free approach to politics. She’s in favor of a lot of things American voters support like fighting for people and against corporations who sink billions into politics. She’s authored legislation against Citizens United and pushed for non-partisan redistricting. She expanded health coverage to over 80,000 previously uninsured Wisconsin residents in her role as vice-chair of the Committee on Health and Healthcare Reform. In addition to getting BPA out of baby bottles, she has helped families by working on projects that reduce infant mortality and racial disparities in health care. She’s also the former executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin and helped the state pass its first pro-choice law in three decades.

While she’s getting a lot of attention for breastfeeding, Roys said her campaign video is about sharing “a positive vision for Wisconsin, where the health and well-being of children is put before special interests and big corporations.”