Mom Power

» WaPo: Pr. William's Mothers of Dissension (Kristen Mack)

Ever wonder what became of the former Houston Chronicle writer/columnist, Kristen Mack? She's been at the Washington Post for a while now, covering the suburban Virginia beat. Most of her work has been out of the spotlight, but this one covers an interesting storyline that goes beyond her beat ...

The months-long battle over Prince William County's crackdown on illegal immigration has largely subsided, but not before giving rise to a potent new force in local politics: stay-at-home moms.

About a dozen mothers who banded together to battle the county's hard-line position on immigration are now among the area's most civically engaged residents. They attend board meetings and influence votes. They have created an active blog and are serving on county advisory boards and commissions.

And they do much of it with children in tow. Alanna Almeda's girls practice gymnastics in the hall while she listens to county supervisors debate. Elena Schlossberg testifies with her 3-year-old, Rachel, on her hip, and her 6-year-old, Eli, hanging onto her leg.

The women say they provided a tempered, alternative voice when emotions on illegal immigration ran hot. Now they want that approach to permeate other debates on topics that interest them, such as preserving more land in the face of development.

On a Texas note, the Statesman's Laylan Copelin profiled Alexa Wesner back in June.