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As Sen. John Kerry continues to form a national identity as the Democratic candidate for president, his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, is also beginning to emerge from the shadows to form a national persona as the potential next first lady.

Some allege Heinz Kerry, often described by journalists as a “loose cannon,” has been kept under wraps in her husband’s campaign due to fears she may do or say something that could sabotage Kerry’s bid for the presidency.

An open critic of abortion and a registered Republican until Kerry began his primary run for the Democratic nomination last year, Heinz Kerry’s political record contrasts her husband’s long record as a pro-choice Democrat.

A self-described independent woman, Heinz Kerry is also economically self-sufficient. She inherited $500 million from her first husband, ketchup heir H. John Heinz III, who later became a Republican senator from Pennsylvania, when he died in a plane crash in 1991.

In 1995, she married Kerry, who was also previously married.

Heinz Kerry took an active role on the campaign trail for her husband this past year, campaigning heavily in crucial states like Iowa and New Hampshire as well as speaking in Madison during the February primary.

She has, however, stated her dislike of deferring to her husband as a political wife. This personality trait appeals to many women who consider the role of first lady to be one of trophy wife and hostess.

“I’ve always disliked the traditional role of the first lady as the dog and leash behind the president,” said Emily McWilliams, finance coordinator for the University of Wisconsin Campus Women’s Center. “In my mind, the best kind of first lady would be the first lady who would … not be a puppet to the president.”

McWilliams said Laura Bush fit the role of first lady, but that her “watered down” feminine demeanor is not a positive example for women.

Many, however, find Laura Bush an appealing first lady, particularly after Hillary Clinton filled the role for eight years. The former first lady’s involvement in Clinton’s administration — most notably as a leader in the push to universalize health care — caused a number of critics to call for an end in “activist” first ladies.

“There is a difference between being involved in politics and playing president. And I think [Hillary Clinton] was playing president too much,” Jessi Schober, vice-chair of Students for Bush, said.

Schober indicated that a first lady should show initiative, such as Laura Bush’s literacy programs Ready to Read and Ready to Learn, but should also be a “support system” to her spouse in his role as president.

“Laura Bush has … embodied what a first lady should be,” Schober said, adding that more than anything else, the first lady must fulfill her important role as a part of the “first family.”

Despite the debate over who best fits the role of first lady, most agree the perception of a candidate’s spouse should not affect people’s votes, McWilliams added.

“I’d like to keep the politics of the person I’m voting for separate from their private relationship,” she said.