Mary Alice Herbert began her political career in the 1980s, frequently running for state office under the Liberty Union Party. She transitioned from Republican to socialist ideologies in the 1960s and was the Liberty Union nominee for Governor of Vermont in 1996. Herbert gained national attention in 2004 as the running mate of Eric Chester for the Socialist Party presidential nomination, where their ticket achieved the highest vote count for the Socialist Party since 1952. She continued to engage in socialist politics, including a bid for Lieutenant Governor of Vermont in 2006 and a subsequent run for the Socialist Party's vice presidential nomination in 2007. Herbert's political career is marked by her advocacy for democratic socialism and socialist feminism, and she remains active within the Liberty Union Party.

Mary Alice Herbert's political journey from Republican to socialist, punctuated by her advocacy for democratic socialism and socialist feminism, reveals an ideologically agile strategist. Her unexpected convergence with opposing factions on abortion within the Socialist Party highlights a nuanced approach to contentious social issues. Herbert's ability to garner significant votes in various state elections, despite her radical ideological shifts, suggests a highly localized and calculated political strategy.