Jari Askins (born April 27, 1953) is an American judge, lawyer and Democratic politician from the US state of

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. She was the 15th

lieutenant governor of Oklahoma The lieutenant governor of Oklahoma is the second-highest executive official of the state government of Oklahoma. As first in the gubernatorial line of succession, the lieutenant governor becomes the new governor of Oklahoma upon the death, resi ...

, being the second woman and the first female Democratic Party member to hold that position. Askins won the

Oklahoma Democratic Party The Oklahoma Democratic Party is an Oklahoma political party affiliated with the Democratic Party. Along with the Oklahoma Republican Party, it is one of the two major parties in Oklahoma politics. The party dominated local politics in Oklahoma ...

's 2010 gubernatorial nomination by defeating Attorney General

Drew Edmondson William Andrew Edmondson (born October 12, 1946), known as Drew Edmondson, is an American lawyer and politician from the state of Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, Edmondson served as the 16th Attorney General of Oklahoma from 1995 to ...

. She was defeated in the general election by

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Congresswoman

Mary Fallin Mary Fallin (; née Copeland; born December 9, 1954) is an American politician who served as the 27th governor of Oklahoma from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, she was elected in 2010 and reelected in 2014. She was the first and s ...

Early life, education and career

Askins was born on April 27, 1953, in

Duncan, Oklahoma Duncan is a city and county seat of Stephens County, Oklahoma, United States. Its population was 22,310 at the 2020 census. Its main claim to fame is as the birthplace of the Halliburton Corporation. Erle P. Halliburton established the New Me ...

. She graduated from Duncan High School in 1971. She then attended the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...

to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism in 1975. While at OU, she was a member of the

Alpha Chi Omega Alpha Chi Omega (, also known as Alpha Chi or A Chi O) is a national women's Fraternities and sororities in North America, fraternity founded on October 15, 1885. As of 2018, there are 132 collegiate and 279 alumnae chapters represented across ...

sorority. Askins received a

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

from the

University of Oklahoma College of Law The University of Oklahoma College of Law is the professional graduate law school of the University of Oklahoma. It is located on the University's campus in Norman, Oklahoma. The College of Law was founded in 1909 by a resolution of the OU Boar ...

in 1980. After graduating from OU, she entered into private practice. In 1982, Askins was appointed Special District Judge of

Stephens County, Oklahoma Stephens County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the population was 45,048. Its county seat is Duncan. The county was created at statehood, partly from the Chickasaw Nation in Indian Territory and partl ...

. She served from 1982 to 1990, winning reelection in 1986. Under the administration of

Governor of Oklahoma The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma Executive (government), executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The gove ...

David Walters David Lee Walters (born November 20, 1951) is an American politician who was the 24th governor of Oklahoma from 1991 to 1995. Born in Canute, Oklahoma, Walters was a project manager for Governor David Boren and the youngest executive officer w ...

, Askins entered the executive branch of government. She was the Chair of the

Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board is the parole board of the state of Oklahoma. The Board was created by an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution in 1944. The Board has the authority to empower the Governor of Oklahoma to grant pardons, parole ...

from 1991 to 1992, serving as the Board's first female chair. Askins served as Deputy General Counsel to Governor Walters from 1992 to 1994. Her last assignment under Governor Walters was as the Executive Director of the Pardon and Parole Board from February to November 1994.

Oklahoma House of Representatives (1995-2007)

Before Governor Walters was succeeded by

Frank Keating Francis Anthony Keating II (initially born as David Rowland Keating) (born February 10, 1944) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 25th governor of Oklahoma from 1995 to 2003. , Keating is one of only five governors in Okl ...

, Askins ran, and was elected to, the

Oklahoma House of Representatives The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's b ...

, beginning her term in 1995. She served six terms in office (12 years), the maximum combined service allowed in the

Oklahoma Legislature The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate are the two houses that make up the bicameral state legislature. There are 101 sta ...

as the Representative of the 50th House District, which includes her home town,

Duncan Duncan may refer to: People * Duncan (given name), various people * Duncan (surname), various people * Clan Duncan * Justice Duncan (disambiguation) Places * Duncan Creek (disambiguation) * Duncan River (disambiguation) * Duncan Lake (d ...

. During her final term (2005–2006), she was elected and served as Democratic House Minority Leader, the first woman to lead a caucus in the state's legislature.

2006 lieutenant governor campaign

After reaching the mandatory legislative

term limit A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...

of 12 years, Askins filed in the Democratic

primary election Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...

to replace outgoing Republican

Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma The lieutenant governor of Oklahoma is the second-highest executive official of the state government of Oklahoma. As first in the gubernatorial line of succession, the lieutenant governor becomes the new governor of Oklahoma upon the death, resi ...

. In the primaries, Askins faced former State Senate President Pro Tempore

Cal Hobson Calvin Jackson Hobson III (born March 30, 1945) is an American politician in the state of Oklahoma. Early life, family, and education Hobson was born in 1945 in Tucson, Arizona as the eldest son of Wardena and Calvin Jackson Hobson II, his par ...

, lobbyist Pete Regan, and Jim Rogers. Askins received the highest share of votes of the four candidates (40.2%), and advanced to the Democratic primary runoff, competing against Pete Regan. In the run-off election on August 22, 2006, Askins defeated Regan, thus gaining the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. Her general election opponents included

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

Todd Hiett Todd Hiett (born July 9, 1967) is an American rancher and Republican politician from Kellyville, Oklahoma. He served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1995 until 2007. During his final two years in office, Hiett served as the Speaker ...

, and E.Z. Million, an independent candidate from Norman. Hiett sought to maintain Republican control of the office, which had been held by then-incumbent

, since 1995. Askins campaigned in part on her experience in state government, with roles in all three branches of Oklahoma government: legislative (state representative), executive (Chair of the Pardon and Parole Board), and judicial (Special District Judge). Askins defeated Hiett and Million in the general election on November 7, 2006, becoming the first Democratic female (and second overall) to be elected lieutenant governor in Oklahoma.

Lieutenant Governor (2006-2010)

Askins' predecessor in the lieutenant governorship, Mary Fallin resigned from office on December 28, 2006, to be sworn in to her term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Effective January 2, 2007, Fallin's resignation allowed then-Governor

Brad Henry Charles Bradford Henry (born July 10, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician who was the 26th governor of Oklahoma from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002. Henry won re-election for a second term ...

to appoint Askins (who was at that point the lieutenant governor-elect) to serve the final week of Fallin's term. At the conclusion of that term, on January 8, 2007, Askins then formally started her own full term of office. As lieutenant governor, Askins served on various boards and commissions, including chairing the

Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Commission The Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation is a department of the government of Oklahoma within the Tourism and Branding Cabinet. The Department is responsible for regulating Oklahoma's tourism industry and for promoting Oklahoma as a tour ...

and the Oklahoma Film and Music Advisory Commission. Governor

also named her as "Oklahoma's Small Business Advocate". Oklahoma's 100th anniversary as a U.S state coincided with Lt. Gov Askins' and Governor Henry's terms, with both participating in Statehood Week commemorations. Askins, in her role as President of the

Oklahoma State Senate The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.Guthrie, Oklahoma's capitol at the time of statehood.

2010 gubernatorial campaign

Askins announced on January 4, 2009 that she would run for

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

to succeed term-limited

. She was the first candidate to declare an intention to run. As announced on July 27, 2010, Jari Askins won the Democratic primary against then-

Oklahoma Attorney General The Attorney General of Oklahoma is the State Attorney General for the state of Oklahoma. The attorney general serves as the chief legal and law enforcement officer of the State of Oklahoma and head of the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General. ...

and was on the November ballot for governor, facing Republican candidate

. The Askins vs. Fallin race and the simultaneous

Diane Denish Diane Daniels Denish ( ; born March 7, 1949) is an American politician, who was the 28th Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico, lieutenant governor of New Mexico. She was elected in 2002, running on the same ticket as Governor Bill Richardson, and wa ...

vs.

Susana Martinez Susana Martinez (born July 14, 1959) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 31st governor of New Mexico from 2011 to 2019. A Republican, she served as chair of the Republican Governors Association (RGA) from 2015 to 2016. She ...

race in New Mexico were the third and fourth cases of woman vs. woman gubernatorial races in U.S. history. The two Oklahoma candidates participated in a single lieutenant governor's debate on October 19, 2010. Fallin won the election, becoming Oklahoma's first female governor. Askins only carried four counties, including her home county of Stephens County.

Post-electoral career

In April 2015, Governor Mary Fallin, named Askins as a special advisor on

child welfare Child protection is the safeguarding of children from violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect. Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child provides for the protection of children in and out of the home. One of the ways to e ...

and implementation of Oklahoma's Pinnacle Plan. In the role, Askins was responsible for reforms to Oklahoma's Department of Human Services ordered by courts, following a class action lawsuit related to deficiencies found in Oklahoma's foster care system. Shortly after her appointment as a special advisor, Askins was next appointed to government service tied to the judicial branch. Askins was selected in September 2015 by the

Oklahoma Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is a court of appeal for non-criminal cases, one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and leads the judiciary of Oklahoma, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma.

to lead the Oklahoma Administrative Office of the Courts, succeeding retiring director Michael Evans. Askins performed the role under supervision of the Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, to oversee Oklahoma's judicial system. Included in the responsibilities of the Director are operations, budget and personnel matters in all 77 district courts and Oklahoma's courts of special jurisdiction.

Personal life

Askins has been inducted into the

Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame was established in 1982 by Oklahoma Governor George Nigh "to honor Oklahoma women who are pioneers in their field or in a project that benefits Oklahoma; who have made a significant contribution to the State of Oklahoma ...

. According to her campaign website, she is an active member of the First Christian Church of Duncan, a

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. The denomination started with the Restoration Movement during the Second Great Awakening, first existing during the 19th ...

congregation.First Christian Church of Duncan
/ref>

Electoral history

References

External links

Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins
''official state site''
Jari Askins for Governor
''official campaign site''
Jari Askins – ''Women of the Oklahoma Legislature Oral History Project'', Oklahoma Oral History Research Program
* , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Askins, Jari 1953 births 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians American Disciples of Christ Candidates in the 2010 United States elections Lieutenant Governors of Oklahoma Living people Democratic Party members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Oklahoma lawyers People from Duncan, Oklahoma University of Oklahoma College of Law alumni Women state legislators in Oklahoma