I’ve always told my mother that she should run for public office, but it wasn’t until sometime this past spring that she actually listened to me and took the plunge by announcing her candidacy for the Washington State Legislature. My mom is the definition of a model citizen. As I’ve grown up, I’ve been lucky enough to watch her campaign for equal opportunity for all students in our school district, raise funds for projects to better our schools, and stand up for what is right for our community. And this November, I’ll be lucky enough to vote for my mother and for Hillary Clinton on the same ballot.

Unlike a lot of people I know, I’ve spent this election cycle vacillating between anxiety and excitement, hopping from one to the other as the wind changes and the news cycle shifts. I’ve supported Hillary Clinton since 2008, six years before I was even eligible to vote. One of the things I always hear from people when I tell them I’m a Clinton supporter is that I’m voting with what your Sunday school teacher calls my “lady parts,” that I’d vote for any woman who ran for the highest office in the land, regardless of their positions, their politics, their defects. They’re the same people who’d say that I’m voting for my mother because we share DNA. My mom is running against another woman in her race, and as the disgruntled Bernie supporters on my Facebook feed are fond of reminding me, there’s another woman in the presidential election, too. I’m not stupid. I vote for the candidate, not the gender. I’m voting for my mother and for Hillary Clinton because I believe in them.

My mother and Hillary Clinton have a lot in common. They’re both devoted spouses and mothers. They both have a long and storied history of activism in support of marginalized people. Both of them are wickedly smart, but more important than that, they’re practical. They know that sometimes compromise is necessary to reach an agreement, but that compromise doesn’t have to mean concession. They also know which battles are worth fighting. I trust my mom to make the hard decisions, and I trust Hillary Clinton to do the same.

Good leaders make hard decisions. Good leaders don’t rise to the bait, no matter who throws it out in front of them. Good leaders follow the most basic rule of ethics: maximizing good while minimizing harm. Everything I’ve seen from the powerful women I’m voting for this November tells me that they have what it takes.

Lately, the complaint from people who don’t want to vote for Hillary Clinton has been that she’s uninspiring. If you see Hillary Clinton as uninspiring, you’re not looking hard enough. To my mom, to me, to everyone who’s looked at difficult paths and seemingly impassable obstacles and decided to try anyway, Hillary Clinton – graduate of Yale Law School, women’s rights advocate, Senator from New York, Secretary of State, first female presidential nominee from a major party – is an inspiration.

This November, in spite of the hate and vitriol being poured into this election, I’m excited to vote. I’m excited to see the women who inspired me rise to inspire others. And in the time remaining before we all cast our ballots, I hope you all can get excited, too.