Republican dads are leading by example
At home and in office, N.C. fathers are redefining family values by living them
Rep. Mike Schietzelt’s son was done sitting still. The 18-month-old squirmed in his lap, missing a shoe and clinging to dad as the freshman lawmaker’s turn to speak finally arrived.
Schietzelt glanced at his wife — should she take him outside? Then he thought: This is a friendly crowd. Why not?
So he took the microphone in one hand and his son in the other and addressed the GOP meeting in a scene captured on social media. It wasn’t a grand gesture. It wasn’t staged. But it sent a message.
At a time when birthrates are plummeting and more Americans than ever are opting out of parenthood, Schietzelt showed that being a father and a public servant aren’t just compatible — they’re powerful together.
Parenthood on the campaign trail isn’t new, but something about this moment feels different. There’s a new crop of Republican leaders with young children who are unapologetic about their balancing act while in office.
At the national level, Vice President J.D. Vance illustrated this beautifully when he stepped off Air Force Two in France, walking down to the tarmac holding an exhausted child in pajamas. It wasn’t a photo-op. It was just real life.
The same dynamic is playing out here in North Carolina with Schietzelt and newly elected Labor Commissioner Luke Farley. Both men are new to public office. And both have young children: Schietzelt with four boys, ages 1 to 10, and Farley with three, ages 0 to 7. Farley’s youngest was born during his campaign.
Their message isn’t spoken, but it’s clear: Family isn’t an obstacle to leadership. It’s part of it.
This issue is incredibly important to me, since I’m the dad of four young children as well. So I talked to both Schietzelt and Farley about how they view their roles as parents and politicians.
Both of them told me virtually the same things:
They’re not trying to make political statements. They just honestly like having their families around them.
Being a parent changes your perspective on politics and policy.
It’s good and healthy for people to see public servants out and about with their families.
On the road
In an era when politicians obsess over carefully curated branding, that’s refreshing. The real message isn’t to the public, it’s to their own children.
"It's important for kids to see adults being adults,” Schietzelt said. "We should be setting an example for our kids. It’s hard to do that if they only see you on TV."
Campaigning across North Carolina means long days and longer drives. Farley could have gone solo — but instead, he made it a lesson. He started bringing his oldest son along for the ride.
"Was it as fun as going to Disney World? No," Farley admitted. "But it gave us time together. And it’s been a fantastic civics lesson."
Being a dad and an elected official involves a lot of logistical challenges, as well.
“When I'm at home, nobody cares that I'm the labor commissioner. It doesn't exempt me from having to change diapers. It doesn't exempt me from getting kids ready and out the door,” Farley said. His wife also works outside the home, and when a child gets sick they have to tag-team child care. Farley’s not just talking about working families. He’s part of one.
“I think it's good to have people in office with young families,” Farley said. “It keeps you grounded.”
Informing politics
This balancing act isn’t just about logistics — it shapes the way these leaders think about policy. When you’re raising young kids, policy isn’t theoretical, it’s personal. Both Scheitzelt and Farley told me fatherhood was a driving force behind their decision to run for office
“As soon as you have kids, your perspective changes, and you start worrying about a new set of things,” Farley said. “I started to wonder, will they have as good of a life as I’ve been able to have?”
For Scheitzelt, his role as a dad makes his seat in the General Assembly even more important.
“Being a father of young children really heightens the stakes for me. It's my kids’ education that's going to be impacted, it’s my kids’ future that's going to be impacted,” Schietzelt said. “You're almost going to get real-time feedback on what's happening.”
Sending a message
If conservatives want to lead on family values, this is how. Not through scripted soundbites or rehearsed messaging, but by showing the state what it looks like in action. These leaders aren’t just talking about family values, they’re living them. And it’s a powerful statement in support of a truth that’s falling out of favor.
“I think it's a recognition that family is a good thing,” Farley said.
Quick hits
My Observer/N&O column this week hit on the “fiscal cliff” that Gov. Josh Stein has been warning about. It’s not really a cliff, just a political cudgel. Read it here: North Carolina’s ‘fiscal cliff’ is just a scare tactic from Democrats
Rep. Allen Chesser posted a lengthy response to Stein’s criticism of President Trump’s position on Ukraine. It’s worth reading every word.
It wasn’t a popular position, but I argued strenuously against legalizing sports betting a few years back. So I was very interested to listen to this podcast interview with “Moneyball” author Michael Lewis on the hidden dangers of sports gambling — especially how pervasive it’s gotten on high school and college campuses.
There's a pervasive fatalism in Democrat circles that there's no way they'll ever get control of the General Assembly again because of gerrymandering unless a court orders it. The latest example comes from The New Branchhead. Do people not remember that Republicans flipped the legislature under Democrat-gerrymandered maps in 2010?
I had the distinct pleasure of speaking to the Moore County Republican Men’s Club last week. On the way, I stopped by the oldest known living longleaf pine tree — 470 years old! As you might imagine, that was a pretty big moment for me.
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Great photo ops but it's very much performative. The House did not allow Rep. Pettersen to vote virtually 4 weeks after giving birth. These dads aren't the birthing parents so they can and should be carrying the kids around and doing their fair share.
How many kids died from guns in North Carolina last year?