John & Maria Smithson

Sharing coffee in Maria Smithson’s kitchen in Charlotte, North Carolina, the thought settles as she talks about politics that you would not want to run against her. She is political to her core, a lifelong, determined Democrat. Yet she’s so devoted to raising her daughters, Molly Adele, Chloe Anne, and Nora Grace, that she has passed up chances to run for office. She and her husband of sixteen years, have constructed one of those rare partnerships around a home life centered on children. They work hard at it, and it shows when they gather to watch TV together, study, or feed roasted rosemary-lemon chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans followed by ice cream to a guest. But politics is never far beneath the surface.