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Mary Fallin

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Mary Fallin
27th Governor of Oklahoma
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 10, 2011
LieutenantTodd Lamb
Preceded byBrad Henry
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Oklahoma's 5th district
In office
January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011
Preceded byErnest Istook
Succeeded byJames Lankford
14th Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
In office
January 9, 1995 – January 2, 2007
GovernorFrank Keating
Brad Henry
Preceded byJack Mildren
Succeeded byJari Askins
Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
from the 85th district
In office
1990–1995[1]
Preceded by???
Succeeded byOdilia Dank
Personal details
Born (1954-12-09) December 9, 1954 (age 69)
Warrensburg, Missouri, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJoseph Fallin (1984-1998)[2] Wade Christensen[2]
ResidenceGovernor's Mansion
Alma materOklahoma Baptist University
University of Central Oklahoma
Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
Signature
WebsiteOfficial Website
Campaign website

Mary Fallin (born December 9, 1954) is the 27th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. She was a U.S. Representative for Oklahoma's 5th congressional district from 2007 until 2011.[3]

She is the second woman elected to the United States Congress from Oklahoma and the first since 1921 when Alice Mary Robertson was elected to Congress and served for one term from 1921 to 1923. She was the first Republican and first woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma. She served in that post from 1995 to 2007. She is also the first woman to serve as Governor in the state of Oklahoma.

Early life, education, and early political career

Fallin was born Mary Copeland in Warrensburg, Missouri, the daughter of Mary Jo (née Duggan) and Joseph Newton Copeland.[4] Her mother and father both served terms as mayor of Tecumseh, where she was raised. Now a resident of Oklahoma City, she has long made the Fifth District her home. A graduate of Tecumseh High School, Fallin attended Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee as well as the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. Fallin holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Oklahoma State University.

Fallin was first elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1990. During her two terms as a State Representative she was recognized by the American Legislative Exchange Council as Legislator of the Year and named Guardian of Small Business by the National Federation of Independent Business.

Lieutenant Governor (1995–2007)

In 1995, Fallin became Oklahoma’s first woman and first Republican to be elected as the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma. As lieutenant governor, Fallin served as president of the Senate and on ten boards and commissions that impact the quality of life and business in Oklahoma, including the Tourism and Recreation Commission, State Board of Equalization, Oklahoma Land Commission and Film Advisory Commission. She pursued an aggressive agenda focusing on economic development, education, health care and government reform during her 12 years in office.

In the Cabinet-level position of small business advocate during the Keating administration, Fallin fought the rising cost of health insurance and excessive government regulation. Fallin was also instrumental in initiating several economic development events including the first-ever Oklahoma Aerospace Summit and Expo, Small Business Day at the Capitol and Telecommunications Day at the Capitol. She also hosted the Lieutenant Governor’s Invitational Turkey Hunt.

In the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing, she formed a task force to rebuild the childcare center lost in the disaster. Fallin also initiated Project Homesafe, a gun safety program that has distributed more than 80,000 free cable gun locks to Oklahomans.

U.S. House of Representatives (2007–2010)

Elections

Fallin did not seek re-election in 2006 as lieutenant governor, but ran for the 5th Congressional District seat being vacated by Ernest Istook, who ran for governor. In the July 25 GOP primary, she was the top vote-getter, receiving 35% of the vote.[5] On August 22, 2006, she faced the second place finisher of the July primary Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett in the Republican candidate runoff election, and won with 63% of the vote.[6]

Fallin was elected on November 7, defeating Democrat Paul David Hunter.[7] She is the first woman elected to Congress from Oklahoma since 1921. Alice Mary Robertson was the first woman to be elected to U.S. Congress from Oklahoma. She resigned her office on January 2, 2007 in order to be sworn in to Congress on January 4, 2007. Lieutenant Governor-elect Jari Askins was appointed by Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry to fill the remaining days of Fallin's term.

Fallin easily won reelection in 2008.

Committee assignments

Fallin served on the House Committee on Armed Services, the House Committee on Small Business, and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. She also served on the Executive Committee of the National Republican Congressional Committee, Small Business Chair on the Republican Policy Committee and Vice Chairman of the Congressional Women’s Caucus.

2010 Gubernatorial campaign

Main article: Oklahoma gubernatorial election, 2010

Incumbent Governor of Oklahoma Brad Henry was easily re-elected in 2006. In 2008, Republicans made gains in the state legislature and took control of both the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma Senate for the first time in Oklahoma history. Governor Henry was unable to seek reelection to a third consecutive four-year term, because of term limits placed on him by the Oklahoma Constitution.

By September, 2009, Fallin along with four other candidates had announced their intention to run for Governor to succeed Henry. Other than Fallin they were:

Fallin won the Republican nomination with 136,460 votes and defeated her nearest challenger State Senator, Randy Brogdon who won 98,159 votes. Former Alaska Governor and 2008 Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin endorsed Fallin in the primary. On November 2, 2010, Fallin defeated Democratic nominee Jari Askins 60% to 39%. She is the first female governor of Oklahoma.

Governor of Oklahoma (2011-Present)

Transition

On election night, after it became apparent that Fallin had won the election, Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety Kevin Ward dispatched Oklahoma Highway Patrol officers to begin providing security and protection to her. As the Governor-elect, the Oklahoma Office of State Finance made available to her transition funding and other government services. The Transition established GovernorelectMaryFallin.org as the official website of the Transition and established MaryFallinInuagural.org as the official website of Fallin's Inauguration.

Fallin began the transition on November 3 by holding a joint press conference with outgoing Governor Brad Henry.[8] In the press conference, Governor Henry announced that he would make available to Fallin office space in the Oklahoma State Capitol for her to use as the headquarters for her transition team.

Fallin named Devon Energy Chairman and CEO J. Larry Nichols as the Chairman of her Transition Team. She also named (then) outgoing Oklahoma Senate President pro tempore Glenn Coffee (R-Tulsa) as the Transition's Co-Chairman. Fallin named Lieutenant Governor-elect Todd Lamb as her Administration's Small Business Advocate, a position Fallin herself once held under former Governor Frank Keating. She also established her Governor's Taskforce on Economic Development to advise her on matter related to the economy. Members of that task force include BancFirst CEO David Rainbolt and former Walters Administration Secretary of Agriculture Gary Sherrer. Former Keating Administration Secretary of Energy Robert J. Sullivan, Jr. serves as the director of the Taskforce as the Special Advisor to the Governor on Economic Development.[9]

First year

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the University Center in Ponca City, Oklahoma on July 12, 2011.

Fallin assumed office as Governor on January 10, 2011. Before the end of January, Fallin had named the four remaining Cabinet Secretaries in her Administration. She named the following:

In late January, following a heated Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting, Governor Fallin proposed major changes to the Oklahoma State Department of Education's organization and structure. The controversy arose over the Board of Education rejecting three senior staff members of Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Janet Barresi. Under Fallin's proposed changes, the Board would be stripped of its administrative powers and those powers would be transferred solely to the State Superintendent, thus reducing the Board to more of an advisory committee to the Superintendent as opposed to a government body of the Department.[10]

On February 7, Governor Fallin addressed the Oklahoma Legislature in her first State of the State Address. In her Address, Fallin called for streamlining and modernizing the State government, reforming education, and reducing health care costs in the State. She also presented her 2012 Oklahoma state budget spending request for considering by the Legislature. She proposed to make up the $400 million budget deficit through a combination of a 5% across-the-board agency budget cuts, increased tax enforcement, state agency consolidations, and government modernization to overcome the budget shortfall.

On July 14, 2011, Governor Fallin responded to a heat wave sweeping her state by asking citizens to seek divine intervention. "The power of prayer is a wonderful thing, and I would ask every Oklahoman to look to a greater power this weekend and ask for rain," Fallin said in a news release.[11][12]

Personal life

Divorce

In early December 1998, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol bodyguard for Lt. Gov. Fallin resigned after admitting to unprofessional conduct. The Fallins had filed for divorce the previous week, amid allegations by her estranged husband that she had had an affair with a bodyguard.[13][14]

Public Safety Commissioner Bob Ricks issued a statement saying that rumors had surfaced in early September about alleged unprofessional conduct between a member of the executive security detail and the lieutenant governor. According to Ricks, the trooper first denied the allegations, but, when questioned again in October, admitted to the improprieties. He was allowed to resign, but his admission did not say that any sexual activity was involved.[15]

Family

She has two children from her first marriage, Christina Fallin and Price Fallin.

Honors

Fallin has been honored with numerous awards including Women in Communication’s Woman in the News Award, induction into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame, Clarence E. Page Award, induction into the Oklahoma Aviation Hall of Fame, 1998 Woman of the Year in Government and 1993 Legislator of the Year.

Election history

References

  1. ^ http://www.library.okstate.edu/oralhistory/wotol/fallin/index.htm
  2. ^ a b "Sex scandal roils Oklahoma politics: Official accused of having affair with trooper", Kansas City Star, The Fallin affair, more details located here: Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallons extra marital affair! December 12, 1998. Cite error: The named reference "married" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Rep. Fallin elected Okla.'s first female governor". The Washington Post. Associated Press. November 2, 2010.
  4. ^ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~battle/celeb/fallin.htm
  5. ^ "Primary Election". ok.gov. Oklahoma State Election Board. July 26, 2006. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
  6. ^ "Runoff Primary Election". ok.gov. Oklahoma State Election Board. August 22, 2006. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
  7. ^ "General Election". ok.gob. Oklahoma State Election Board. November 7, 2006. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  8. ^ Fallin prepares to Oklahoma's governor, The Oklahoman, Michael McNutt, 11-3-10
  9. ^ Fallin Transition Team, Office of Governor-elect Mary Fallin, 11-30-10
  10. ^ Governor Fallin Issues Statement on Obstructionist Tactics of State Board of Education, Office of Governor Fallin, January 27, 2011
  11. ^ Official News Release
  12. ^ 'Massive heat wave' on the way; Oklahomans urged to pray
  13. ^ [1]
  14. ^ [2]
  15. ^ [3]
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
1994, 1998, 2002 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of Oklahoma
2010 		Most recent
Political offices
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
1995–2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of Oklahoma
2011–present 		Incumbent
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the House of Representatives
from Oklahoma's 5th congressional district
2007–2011 		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Vice President Order of Precedence of the United States
Within Oklahoma 		Succeeded by
Mayor of city
in which event is held
Succeeded by
Preceded byas Governor of Utah Order of Precedence of the United States
Outside Oklahoma 		Succeeded byas Governor of New Mexico

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