Elections Put First Women of Color in Governor Posts

By Women's eNews staff

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

South Carolina's Nikki Haley and New Mexico's Susana Martinez won a paired precedent on election night as the first two women of color elected governor. The two Republicans were part of a strong night, overall, for GOP women.

(WOMENSENEWS)--Early returns indicated that Election Day was good for many Republican women running for governor, as predicted.

Predictions were also panning out in other races involving women, as voters in one of the most vitriolic midterm elections in decades turned in few surprises.

Democrat Terry Sewell won her race to represent west and southwest Alabama in the House, becoming the first African American woman to be elected to Congress from the state. The state's first female member of Congress, Elizabeth Andrew, was elected to fill her husband's seat after his death in 1972 to serve out his term.

Sewell is an attorney who once worked for a high-powered New York law firm, Davis Polk and Wardwell.

Sewell's political mentor and former colleague at Davis Polk, New York's Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, won her election as well. Gillibrand was appointed in 2008 to fill Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate seat. A native of upstate New York, Gillibrand faced strong negative reaction downstate for her positions on immigration and gun control.

Haley, Martinez Make History

Female gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley is projected by CNN to defeat Democratic opponent Vincent Sheheen. The anti-choice candidate is only the second Indian-American governor in U.S. history.

She will be the first female governor of South Carolina and is expected to join New Mexico's Republican Susana Martinez as the first two women of color to serve as governors.

In New Mexico, Martinez is projected by CNN to defeat Democrat Diane Denish, who is backed by the pro-choice Emily's List. Martinez is the first Hispanic female gubernatorial candidate in either party.

Oklahoma Republican gubernatorial candidate Mary Fallin is projected by CNN to defeat opponent Democrat Jari Askins. In one of their last debates, Fallin suggested Askins was not fit to serve as governor because she had never been a mother. Both women are anti-choice in one of the most restrictive states for abortion.

In another anti-choice victory, Arizona Republican Jan Brewer is projected to win against Democrat Terry Goddard.

Republican Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay, is projected by CNN to lose as is democratic pro-choice Wyoming gubernatorial candidate Leslie Petersen.

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