First Ladies: Campaign Trailblazers

How presidential spouses evolved into highly sophisticated and effective election surrogates.

Jill Biden meets (from left) U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty and Mayor Andrew Ginther when traveling to Columbus, Ohio, in 2023 to tout how Bidenomics works at the local level, which the first lady describes as “Joe’s vision to build the economy from the bottom up and the middle out.” (Photo: @flotus Instagram)

Last June, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden set out on the first of many campaign fundraising stops, telling a small yet influential audience in Manhattan that Joe Biden “knows how to get things done.” 

Some scholars believe that it is, in fact, Jill Biden who knows how to get things done, especially when it comes to drumming up support for her husband in what is shaping up to be a contentious and momentous presidential campaign. But Jill Biden isn’t alone. Many first ladies have been valuable assets on the campaign trail.

“First ladies multiply the impact of the campaign message because they’re supporting the brand of the presidential candidate,” says Elizabeth J. Natalle, associate professor em…