CALIFORNIA — Jennifer Siebel Newsom, spouse of California Governor Gavin Newsom, has elected to use the title "first partner," rejecting the traditional term "first lady." She became the first wife of a California governor to indicate a desire to challenge traditional gender roles with this choice.

No wife of a U.S. president had formally adopted the title "first partner." Other presidential spouses have also indicated discomfort with the traditional title. Jacqueline Kennedy, who entered the White House in 1961, instructed her staff to address her as Mrs. Kennedy. She stated, "The one thing I do not want to be called is 'first lady.'" She added, "It sounds like a saddle horse." Martha Washington, the first lady of the United States, was reluctant to move to the new presidential household in New York.

Barbara A. Perry, a professor of governance at the University of Virginia, noted that Eleanor Roosevelt was "just hounded and just critiqued with terrible jokes," but she continued her work. Roosevelt, who acted as Franklin D. Roosevelt's "eyes, ears and legs" due to his polio, went to the theaters of war during World War II and wrote a nationally syndicated newspaper column six days a week for decades.

The role of spouses of elected officials sometimes involves policy. Bill Clinton tasked Hillary Clinton with developing a universal healthcare plan after he won the presidency in 1992. Perry said Hillary Clinton's healthcare plan generated controversy because it involved a major public policy role, and much of it was kept secret. She also said, "The reason Americans will have a backlash if the first lady gets out too far over their skis, as they say, is that they are unaccountable." Perry added, "This is not an office, it's nowhere defined."

Modern first ladies have focused on initiatives aligned with their existing professional backgrounds. Laura Bush, a librarian, focused on literacy during her time as first lady. Michelle Obama, an attorney who graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School, focused on healthy eating and nutrition. In 2021, Jill Biden became the first first lady to continue her professional career outside the White House, working as a teacher at Northern Virginia Community College.

Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, commented on the challenges some first ladies face. Walsh said Michelle Obama likely avoided a heavy policy position due to being targeted as a Black woman. "The racism and the sexism combined was brutal," Walsh said. Walsh believes the role of first lady may evolve as more women and LGBTQ+ politicians assume leadership positions, citing Doug Emhoff, who maintained his professional life as second gentleman.

Walsh suggested that Siebel Newsom's choice of "first partner" might draw additional scrutiny. "We are at a point in our history where this more nontraditional role of a first lady or a first spouse will garner scrutiny and criticism from the other side," Walsh said. She added, "It will be yet another way of potentially attacking the candidate, and it's unfortunate." Perry agreed that the "first partner" label might not be well-received nationwide. "They'll see that as part of this trans business and gender fluidity," Perry said. She added, "She does have to be careful about that."