Expert says Arizona is historically a top state for women in politics

PHOENIX — The leading candidates in the Arizona gubernatorial race are women, continuing a long tradition in the state’s political landscape.

Republican candidates Kari Lake and Karrin Taylor Robson and Democratic candidate Katie Hobbs are all front runners in the race for the governor’s office.

“We’ve had four female governors, the most of any other state,” said Gina Woodall, a principal lecturer at Arizona State University who’s been studying women and politics for decades.

Woodall added Arizona in November will most likely have its fifth female governor.

She said Arizona has always been one of the top states with women in all political offices.

“We are in the top 10 states for the proportion of women in the state legislature,” Woodall said.

Arizona ranks No. 5 in the country with women in 41% of municipal and state legislative positions, according to The Center for American Women and Politics.

Woodall said this stems from the state’s history.

“When we’re looking at the western United States, it tends to have a more individualistic political culture, rugged individualism, kind of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps,” she said. “When we look at Arizona, that’s really what you see, we granted suffrage for women eight years before the national amendment.”

Woodall said it makes sense that multiple women are front and center in the primary election.

“It makes sense that in a state like Arizona, kind of throwing tradition away, if you will, and embracing women as political candidates and we see that in Arizona in the executive office,” she said.

Woodall added that many Arizonans don’t care who does the job, as long as it gets done.

She also expects the trend of women being involved in politics to continue in Arizona.

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