From unofficial advisors to ‘secret weapons,’ the role of political spouses on the campaign trail is varied

On the campaign trail, politicians are on full display, and frequently so are their families.

From door-knockers to unofficial advisors, the role of a spouse during a federal election campaign is varied. While they do not hold any official duties, they are often seen by their partner’s side at events, providing moral support during the toughest moments and even campaigning on their own — sometimes doing it all with kids in tow.

They are commonly considered an asset, reminding voters of a politician’s humanity.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau announced that after 18 years of marriage they have decided to separate.

Trudeau separation brings private matter into the public eye

Catherine Cullen, host of CBC Radio’s The House, looks at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau’s separation announcement and the political and procedural issues that may follow the deeply personal decision.

“As always, we remain a close family with deep love and respect for each other and for everything we have built and will continue to build,” Trudeau and Grégoire Trudeau wrote in identical messages.

The news made headlines around the world and has triggered questions about how the separation might affect the prime minister’s political life, including his next federal election campaign.

The political spouse as image-maker

Grégoire Trudeau has been particularly visible throughout all of Trudeau’s federal election campaigns. She introduced him at events, mingled with voters, rallied volunteers and spoke with the media.

In an interview with CBC News during the 2019 federal election campaign, Grégoire Trudeau said she did not view the job of political spouse as one that is a mere extension of her husband’s work.

“I don’t ever feel like I’m playing a role or that I’m fulfilling a role as the ‘wife of,’ and my husband knows that I’m not,” she said at the time.

Grégoire Trudeau has become a public figure in her own right, championing causes she is passionate about, like mental health and gender equality.

The roles a political spouse takes on during an election campaign are largely of their own choosing, said Laura Stephenson, a professor of political science at Western University and co-director of the Consortium on Electoral Democracy.

“We don’t hire the family, we don’t hire the spouses,” she said.

What often happens in politics, said Stephenson, is politicians recognize that their family life, to some extent, can send messages to the voting public.

“Having your family with you is done to try and convey that you’re supported, you have people around you who think you’re a good person,” she said.

This type of image curation can be fraught, especially for female politicians who may experience challenges due to stereotypical expectations given to them due to their gender.

A single woman without children running for office may cause some dissonance for voters because she is not fitting into certain boxes, no matter her competence as a politician, suggested Stephenson.

Taking on their own jobs

During the 2015 federal election campaign, Laureen Harper, the wife of former prime minister Stephen Harper, was particularly visible, both with her husband and on her own.

Just days after the campaign was launched, she had visited half a dozen Conservative candidates at their campaign offices in ridings the party needed to secure, notably in the Greater Toronto Area.

This included a stop at the office of former Conservative MP for Richmond Hill Costas Menegakis on Oct. 5, 2015. Later that same day, she visited the office of former Conservative MP for Mississauga South Stella Ambler.

At the time, Ambler introduced Laureen to her team of volunteers as “Stephen Harper’s secret weapon.”

The Conservative Party supposedly knew the power of Laureen on the campaign trail.

In the year before the election was called, a Conservative Party memo, leaked to the Toronto Star and reported on by CBC News, mapped the party’s 2015 strategy, which included a goal to “leverage” the popularity of Laureen Harper.

Stephenson said, in a relationship outside of the public eye, when a spouse takes on roles outside of their so-called “job description” it is usually nothing more than them being a supportive partner.

In a political relationship, however, the difference is one member is trying to win votes from the public, which sees everything the couple does in a very specific light.

“Everything is a choice,” she said.

These choices include whether a politician brings their children with them on the campaign trail.

The Harpers’ children, Ben and Rachel, were often seen during the Conservative Party’s 2015 election campaign.

The two took centre stage with their parents — both in front of cameras and behind the scenes. Ben was involved with his dad’s preparation for the first 2015 leaders’ debate and Rachel visited volunteers at campaign offices with her mother.

The Trudeaus’ three children are also not strangers to the spotlight. Throughout their lives they have appeared with their parents at countless events — from Canada Day to election night.

We don’t know, however, how much of a say children have when appearing at these events, says Stephenson.

While it is important to never judge whether or not members of a family want to be involved in their spouse’s or parent’s political life, Stephenson said “we should recognize that it’s often a strategic choice on the part of the politician.”

An election on the horizon

The spouses of current opposition leaders have more recently ascended to the spotlight, and are often seen with their partners at political and social events.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh had a particularly private personal life, neither confirming nor denying he was even in a relationship, before he invited several members of the media to his proposal to his now wife Gurkiran Kaur.

The two are seen together often, with Kaur playing a forward role in Singh’s political career, both in-person and on social media.

In an interview with CBC News during the 2019 federal election campaign, Kaur said she was having “so much fun” taking part in recruiting volunteers and canvassing door-to-door in her husband’s riding of Burnaby South.

“I love the energy. I love the family that you create in a campaign mode,” she told CBC News. “So that to me is always the most rewarding part. It’s been a good ride.”

Anaida Poilievre, the wife of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, has not yet experienced a federal election campaign, but has appeared often with her husband throughout his time as Opposition leader.

Whether Singh and Poilievre decide to feature their spouses more prominently in the next federal election campaign is yet to be seen.

And if having your spouse as a prominent part of your campaign is about curating the perfect image, what will this mean for the prime minister?

Stephenson said she hopes this aspect of his life remains a private matter, not touched by other politicians or their supporters.

“If Trudeau is still performing as prime minister and wants to continue doing so, then we should judge him on his performance as a prime minister,” she said.

She also pointed out that if someone hasn’t been personally affected by a separation, they probably know someone who has.

Perhaps, the prime minister’s separation will “humanize him,” suggested Jordan Leichnitz, the Canada program manager at the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, on CBC’s Power and Politics on Wednesday.

“This is a pretty relatable thing to have happen, marriages break down all the time,” she said.

“I think, for a lot of Canadians who maybe have tuned out from politics, especially during the summer, this is something that will punch through and I think likely cast the prime minister in a potentially empathic light.”