Oklahoma has record number of female candidates for statewide elections

When Oklahoma voters cast their ballots for the Nov. 8 general election, they'll notice something unprecedented at the top of the ticket.

What appears to be a record number of women are vying for the state's top offices.

All but one statewide political contest will feature at least one female candidate from a recognized political party. With the exception of the state treasurer's race, women are running in the governor's race, the U.S. Senate elections and every statewide office in between.

In a first, Oklahoma has female nominees vying for both of the state's U.S. Senate seats. It's rare for both Senate seats to be on the ballot at the same time.

Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn is challenging U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin in the race to fill retiring U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe's seat. Democrat Madison Horn, of no relation to Kendra, is challenging U.S. Sen. James Lankford. Both Democrats are trailing their Republican opponents in public polls.

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Oklahoma needs elected officials who are more representative of the state's population, said Kendra Horn, who used to represent Oklahoma's 5th District. She was the first and only Democrat to represent Oklahoma in Congress.

"I think it's a good sign that more women are running because we've had a severe imbalance in representation, and I don't say that because I think people should vote for someone just because of their gender," she said.

Women make up 50.2% of Oklahoma's population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau

U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Oklahoma City, is the lone female member of Oklahoma's seven-person federal delegation.

Although candidates had to file for office months before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Kendra Horn said the abortion issue is galvanizing women to run for office and engaging female voters. She has made abortion rights a central issue in her campaign.

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The New York Times recently reported Oklahoma saw a 3% increase in women registering to vote after the court struck down longstanding abortion protections.

The reversal of Roe was a wake-up call for some women, but the actions of Oklahoma's GOP-led Legislature in recent years have inspired more women to run for office, said Sara Jane Rose, the executive director of Sally's List. The local group that helps recruit and train "progressive" women to run for office is modeled off the national Emily's List.

A record number of Oklahoma women won state legislative seats in 2018, but the state still ranks poorly for overall female representation at the statehouse.

Oklahoma women are also getting inspiration from more female candidates running for top races across the nation, Rose said.

"Women are just becoming bolder," she said.

Before her first congressional bid, Kendra Horn led Sally's List.

Women are less likely to run for office due to a myriad of factors, but there's research that shows they are highly effective leaders that are more likely to work across the aisle and be consensus builders if elected, Kendra Horn said.

She also praised the slate of Democratic women on the statewide ballot. Democrats nominated female candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, state schools superintendent and corporation commissioner.

Democrat Joy Hofmeister will be the first female gubernatorial candidates on the ballot since Mary Fallin became the state's first female governor after defeating Democrat Jari Askins in the 2010 election.

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"It is not just about having any Democratic woman whose name is on the ballot," Kendra Horn said. "It's about having strong, smart, women candidates who are pragmatic and who are intentional and who are willing to do the work."

Although Democrats make up the majority of the female candidates on the statewide ticket, Republican women are leading contenders to win two major elections next month.

Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn is poised to win a second term. Republican state Sen. Kim David is the odds-on favorite to win a seat on the three-member corporation commission in an election that includes Democrat Margaret Warigia Bowman and independent Don Underwood.

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Republican State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd has already secured a second term after defeating a largely unknown primary challenger earlier this year.

David is among GOP candidates that has gotten financial support from POWhER PAC, a political action committee that aims to get more Republican women elected in Oklahoma.

Financially contributing to candidates is just part of the role of the PAC that formed last year, said board President Jennifer Howard. The eight board members try to encourage women to run for office and use their networks to help support its candidates by helping to put on events, finding other donors and more, Howard said.

"It's not so much just about the money, but also just about the support too," she said. "It's really seeking out strong female Republican candidates to say, 'you have all the right ingredients, all the right qualifications to run for that seat or to represent that district.'"

Barring any surprises in the general election, Howard predicted there will soon be five Republican women in the state Senate — a new record. Oklahoma currently has four Republican senators who are women and five women serving across the aisle in the chamber.

Ahead of the June primary this year, POWhER PAC contributed to Rep. Rhonda Baker, of Yukon, Rep. Cindy Roe, of Lindsay, Sen. Brenda Stanley, of Midwest City, and Senate candidate Ally Seifried, of Claremore. All four legislative candidates won their electoral contests.

"I really hope that this is just the beginning, and that more and more women will continue to throw their names and hats in the ring and run for office," Howard said.

The Libertarian Party also has two female candidates at the top of the ticket this year. Natalie Bruno will give voters a third-party option in the governor's race and Lynda Steele will be the lone challenger to GOP Attorney General candidate Gentner Drummond because Democrats didn't field a candidate in that race.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma has record number of female candidates for statewide offices