Candidate Becomes Mom

Jane Swift, a candidate for Massachusetts lieutenant governor, gave birth to her first child Friday after her pregnancy pushed the issues of family and work to the fore in ways that rankle career women. Swift didn’t leave the campaign trail until two days before giving birth to 7-pound, 6-ounce Elizabeth Ruth Hunt. Swift may return to campaigning before the Nov. 3 election. Her pregnancy was never a big issue in a race tied more to the top of the paired ticket, GOP governor’s candidate Paul Cellucci. Still, the idea of Swift changing diapers in the Statehouse didn’t sit well with some conservatives. “You can have a career and children, but normally you cannot have them both at the same time without a tradeoff. One or the other will suffer,” said Evelyn Reilly, executive director of the Christian Coalition of Massachusetts. “Children are only small for a few years, and there’s plenty of time for a career when the children are older.”