Voters in Oklahoma went to the polls yesterday, choosing candidates in party primaries for the November election.  In the sooner state, more women than men vote – keeping with national trends – but that’s not the big news coming out of the election.   Oklahoma has never had a woman governor, but this year there are two female nominees for governor representing the two major parties.  Rep. Mary Fallin (R) and Lt. Governor Jari Askins (D) are political heavyweights in the state, and they will make history. Their election will be only the fourth time that two women would compete in a gubernatorial race.  And they’ll be the second women-to-women match up this year:  In New Mexico, Susana Martinez (R) and Diane Denish (D) are also squaring off for the governor’s seat in November.


We can celebrate that women across the country are taking an active role in government leadership alongside male colleagues.  This occasion is further evidence that women have seen considerable gains in their political power in America as both constituents and candidates.