Askins, Fallin Continue to Break Gender Barrier

Staff and Wire Reports

OKLAHOMA CITY -- In a state known for having more women in prison than in elected office, Oklahoma has two female politicians battling it out to become the state's next governor.

Democratic Lt. Gov. Jari Askins and Republican U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin both won primary races Tuesday, guaranteeing that a female politician will succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Brad Henry.

This is only the second time in U.S. history that the party nominees for governor have been women, and it is a first for Oklahoma.

Fallin and Askins are already hitting the campaign trail for the November 2 general election.

Askins hit up a trade show in Oklahoma City, while Fallin spoke at a Tulsa Chamber luncheon. There Fallin said not having a male opponent is a first.

"It's very exciting we do have two women. The other lady is a good friend of mine. I have deep respect for her," Fallin said.

Political experts said they expect Fallin and Askins to run a close race for governor. And in a state that typically ranks low in electing females, the primary election showed the tides are turning.

"Until recently we rarely elected women into statewide office. Only two women have been elected into congress in the state, so this is remarkable," said NEWS 9 pollster Keith Gaddie.

With just five women in the 48-member Oklahoma Senate and 12 females in the 101-member House, Oklahoma currently ranks 49th among the 50 states for its percentage of women in the Legislature.

"I think this is an opportunity for girls all over Oklahoma to be able to say that it doesn't matter what your dream is, if you work hard you have an opportunity to achieve it," Askins said.

With gender issues out of the way, the candidates said they want voters to focus on qualifications. Fallin and Askins may come from opposing parties, but they have a lot in common besides the obvious. Both spent time in the state legislature and as Lt. Governor for Oklahoma.

And with only a few months left until the general election, Fallin and Askins said they know they still have a long road of campaigning ahead of them.

"I know the work is not over, that the first phase is done, and we move on to the second phase moving toward November," Askins said.

"We're going to have a great time on the campaign trail. We're getting some national attention, people looking at the two women in Oklahoma running, so it's exciting," Fallin said.

The opponents the women faced in the primary, Randy Brodgon and Drew Edmondson, have both pledged to support their party's candidate for governor.

Along with Oklahoma, New Mexico will also elect a female governor.

Oklahoma also has an incarceration rate of 131 women per 100,000 residents, the highest in the nation and nearly twice the national average of 69 per 100,000.