Across the country, there’s a record number of women running for political office. Now one candidate in Long Island hopes she’s made it easier for all the rest.

Liuba Grechen Shirley is the Democrat challenging longtime Republican Congressman Pete King in his South Shore district. She used to be a full-time caregiver for her two young children and a consultant on global women’s issues while her husband worked outside the home.

Then, like many of the women running this year, the 2016 presidential election prompted her to become more politically active. She organized protests outside King’s office when he supported President Trump’s travel ban and mobilized neighbors to voice their support for the Affordable Care Act, which King voted to repeal and replace.

“I needed to stand up and say something and I decided running for office would be the best way to do that,” she said.  

But she needed more childcare for her kids, who are two and four. So last spring, she went to Washington to ask the Federal Election Commission for permission to spend campaign funds on a babysitter. Federal law says candidates can’t put campaign funds to personal use. The commission has approved using campaign funds for child care before in specific instances, but had never issued an opinion on ongoing expenses.

Speaking at a meeting in May, commissioner Ellen Weintraub said allowing funds to be used for child care could attract a more diverse group of candidates.

“At a time when a lot of people are concerned about political power being concentrated in the hands of a smaller and smaller segment of society, a request like this may open the door to political activity by younger candidates, female candidates, people of color, working-class people,” she said.

The commission voted unanimously to allow Grechen Shirley to use the funds to pay for babysitting because “such expenses would not exist irrespective of [her] candidacy.”

Now, Grechen Shirley pays $22 an hour in campaign funds for a sitter who works about 20 hours a week. Her mom, a teacher, helps out too.

The FEC can’t say how many other Congressional candidates are taking advantage of the new rule. But women have reportedly asked to do the same thing in state races in Texas, Alabama, Wisconsin, Iowa and Connecticut. It’s still against the rules in New Jersey, but it’s under consideration in New York State and the New York City Council.

Kelly Dittmar is a scholar with the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, which runs a site called Gender Watch 2018, analyzing gender dynamics across races.

“Whenever we think about politics, campaigns as well as our political institutions like Congress, we have to remember that they were institutions that were built without women in mind,” she said.

And this year, Dittmar said, more women are running — and running explicitly as moms. Ads show them breastfeeding and talking about discrimination. “The women that we’re seeing run are really more willing to see their gender-based experience as an asset to their candidacy instead of a hurdle they have to overcome to be successful.”

Of course, Grechen Shirley has other hurdles in her race.

King has been in office 25 years, and won with 62 percent of the vote in his last election. His supporters applaud him for taking an aggressive approach to MS-13 —  bringing President Trump to Long Island to crack down on the gang — and for his willingness to work across the aisle in some cases. For example, he lobbied with Democrats for Sandy Aid, and against the Republican tax bill. He has also said he doesn’t have a problem with his opponent using campaign funds to pay for child care.

For her part, Grechen Shirley said she never thought the race would be easy, politically or personally. But speaking to a group of women at a campaign event recently, she said that’s why she’s running on a platform that includes Medicare for All and a $15 minimum wage.

“For too long people have said that women’s issues are separate, they’re just women’s issues," she said. "But the reality is that they’re family issues, they’re economic issues. Politics is personal.”  

Then, as the event wound to a close, Grechen Shirley’s mom pulled up in a minivan with her two grandkids. They were melting down, and it was time for the candidate to broker a bipartisan agreement ... between her children.