Jari Askins

Jari Askins (born April 27, 1953) is an American judge, lawyer, and Democratic politician from the state of Oklahoma. She was the 15th lieutenant governor of Oklahoma, being the second woman, the first female Democrat, and the most recent Democrat to hold that position.

Askins won the Oklahoma Democratic Party's 2010 gubernatorial nomination by defeating Attorney General Drew Edmondson. She was defeated in the general election by Republican Congresswoman Mary Fallin.

Early life, education and career

Jari Askins was born on April 27, 1953, in Duncan, Oklahoma. She was raised there and graduated from Duncan High School in 1971. She went on to attend the University of Oklahoma and earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism in 1975. While at OU, she was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. Askins earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1980. After graduating from OU, she entered into private practice.

In 1982, Askins was appointed Special District Judge of Stephens County, Oklahoma. She served from 1982 to 1990, winning reelection in 1986. Under the administration of Governor of Oklahoma David Walters, Askins entered the executive branch of government. She was the Chair of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board 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 Republican Frank Keating, Askins ran, and was elected to, the Oklahoma House of Representatives, beginning her term in 1995. She served six terms in office (12 years), the maximum combined service allowed in the Oklahoma Legislature as the Representative of the 50th House District, which includes her home town, Duncan.

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 of 12 years, Askins filed in the Democratic primary election to replace outgoing Republican Mary Fallin as Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma. In the primaries, Askins faced former State Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson, 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 Republican Speaker of the House Todd Hiett, 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 Mary Fallin, 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 eventually defeated Hiett and Million in the general election on November 7, 2006, becoming the first Democratic female (and second overall) to be formally elected lieutenant governor in Oklahoma.

Lieutenant Governor (2007-2011)

Askins' predecessor in the lieutenant governorship, Mary Fallin resigned from her office on December 28, 2006, to be sworn in specifically to her term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Effective January 2, 2007, Fallin's resignation allowed then incumbent Governor Brad Henry 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 and the Oklahoma Film and Music Advisory Commission. Governor Brad Henry 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

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