Hayley Cleveland felt a surge of hope when she spotted a Harris-Walz campaign sign strung up on a fence in her small Missouri town.

As a single mother raising her daughter, Aihva Cleveland, in an area surrounded by conservative views, Hayley was thrilled. This year, 18-year-old Aihva was set to vote for the first time, and this time it was for a woman president.

Girls today have witnessed a woman strive for the presidency on two occasions. Over the past decade, many women have cast their votes for a female candidate – only to face defeat each time.

Throughout its 248-year history, the presidency has always been held by men. The women who passionately backed Vice President Kamala Harris in her unexpected presidential run – including mothers dreaming of brighter futures for their daughters – became advocates, making the act of parenting entwined with political expression.

Five days ahead of Election Day, Hayley Cleveland cast her vote early. Eager to connect with others who shared her sentiments, she recorded a heartfelt video from her car’s driver seat on TikTok.

“When I entered the county courthouse, I saw it packed,” she shared in her video. “It wasn’t just crowded. It was packed with women. All of the women came out to vote.”

She noticed that most women brought their young daughters along with them.

“I can’t say how they voted,” she added, “but women, especially many white women, are really showing up in this election compared to previous years.”

With tears welling up behind her long black lashes, reminiscent of her daughter’s, Hayley felt that same mix of anticipation and nerves as when she first saw the campaign sign.

“They need us to raise our voices today,” she asserted, “so that we can advocate for their rights tomorrow.”

Challenges Women Face in Politics

Throughout Kamala Harris’s 108-day campaign against Donald Trump, she seldom brought attention to her gender. However, some women, including Cleveland, perceived Trump’s political jabs as a reflection of the misogyny they encountered from men in their own lives.

Trump laughed in North Carolina when someone at a rally shouted that Harris “worked on the corner,” insinuating prostitution. In Michigan, he called Harris “evil, sick, and crazy,” hinting at a degrading term that the rally-goers eagerly filled in. He dismissed the women who accused him of sexual misconduct, despite facing significant losses in defamation lawsuits related to those claims.

In a contradictory tone, Trump has boasted on social media about his commitment to “protect women at an unprecedented level,” claiming they would finally feel healthy, hopeful, and secure, thus restoring their lives to happiness.

For the Cleveland family, the election was part of an ongoing dialogue that became especially pressing following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which rolled back nearly five decades of abortion rights.

That evening, Hayley, who divorced Aihva’s father seven years prior, entered her daughter’s room and mentioned that “several hundred condoms are on their way,” as Aihva recalled, asking her not to panic when Amazon delivered them. Hayley placed them into a bowl on the kitchen table.

“I told her friends to take as many as they wanted,” Hayley shared.

With the election approaching, Hayley did not view the former president as the straightforward, prosperous businessman that others saw. Instead, she recognized someone who had faced serious accusations of numerous sexual assaults.”

“It’s almost like a green light for young boys,” Cleveland mentioned. They can think, “My dad supported him. My dad endorsed this behavior, so he won’t be upset with me.”

If her mother had started to feel hopeful about Harris’s chances, Aihva said that what she overheard in the corridors of her town’s only school brought her back to reality.

She heard “ignorant teenage boys saying disrespectful things” concerning Harris. “They just attempt to undermine women, claiming things like, ‘It was ridiculous for a woman to even run because she was never going to succeed.’

First-time voter experience

The day before Election Day, Aihva cast her early vote and brought her mom along.

Cleveland shared a TikTok video showing their feet on the red brick sidewalk heading to the polling station. “Another early vote cast today, grateful to share this experience with my daughter,” Cleveland captioned it.

She didn’t dictate how her daughter should vote, but their discussions over the years influenced Aihva greatly, she said.

Research supports this, as indicated by a 2022 Pew Research survey, which found that a majority of American parents impart their political beliefs to their teenagers.

The survey revealed that 80% of parents identifying as Republicans or leaning that way had teenagers who also identified similarly. Conversely, 90% of Democratic-leaning parents had teens with the same views.

“Whenever a political topic arises, we discuss it,” Cleveland expressed. “I want to engage her on her principles.”

Assessing the influence of red states

On election night, Cleveland was anxious. She attempted making jewelry but struggled to concentrate. Watching a holiday movie also failed to keep her attention. She kept wishing, “I would love to see Missouri lean blue. I’m hoping we can close the gap,” she kept telling herself.

Aihva was working at a spa doing eyelash extensions, so Cleveland went to a watch party with friends, hoping for a celebratory mood. However, as the evening progressed, the results more clearly favored Trump, with a map showcasing rising red states.

Cleveland decided to go home early. But she woke up hourly to check her phone. She mentioned to friends that she felt “in a toxic relationship” with the Electoral College. Meanwhile, Aihva checked her phone at 4 a.m., still groggy but aware of the results emerging.

As her alarm went off at 7 a.m., Aihva hopped over to her mother’s room, as she does every morning, to chat before starting their day.

She found her mom seated at her desk.

“My mom had been crying already,” she said. “That made me cry too – I always cry when she cries.”

“We’ve shed a lot of tears,” she noted. “We’ve had multiple discussions during, prior to, and following the election. We’re very apprehensive about what the future holds.”

“I don’t remember much about Hillary (Clinton) running,” Aihva reflected. “I was just too young. But for this election, I felt incredibly hopeful that Kamala would win. I believed if she won, it would inspire more women to take up significant roles.”

Harris gained a 12-point lead among women voters aged 18 to 44, winning 55% to 43%, as reported by the Associated Press. However, a majority of older women as well as white women supported Trump, by a margin of 53% to 46%.

According to exclusive polling by YSL News/Suffolk University, there was a notable divide between married and single women in crucial swing states. In Michigan, for example, 54% of married women voted for Harris compared to 41% for Trump, while a striking 76% of single women supported Harris, leaving just 14% for Trump.

In the county where the Clevelands cast their votes, over 80% backed Trump, according to data from the Missouri Secretary of State.

Following a period filled with “shock, disbelief, and tears,” Cleveland returned to TikTok, her eyes swollen and hair damp.

“This morning took a lot of tears, a long walk, a shower, and several deep breaths,” she shared on video. “What I find crucial is that although we may not be the majority, we are certainly not alone.”

“Today,” she added, “I’ve noticed kindness and understanding in places I never expected to find them.”