Mary Fallin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mary Fallin
Fallin in 2015
27th Governor of Oklahoma
In office January 10, 2011 – January 14, 2019
Lieutenant	Todd Lamb
Preceded by	Brad Henry
Succeeded by	Kevin Stitt
Chairwoman of the National Governors Association
In office August 4, 2013 – July 13, 2014
Deputy	John Hickenlooper
Preceded by	Jack Markell
Succeeded by	John Hickenlooper
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma's 5th district
In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Ernie Istook
Succeeded by	James Lankford
14th Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
In office January 9, 1995 – January 2, 2007
Governor	Frank Keating Brad Henry
Preceded by	Jack Mildren
Succeeded by	Jari Askins
Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 85th district
In office January 8, 1991 – January 9, 1995
Preceded by	Mike Hunter
Succeeded by	Odilia Dank
Personal details
Born	Mary Copeland (1954-12-09) December 9, 1954 (age 70) Warrensburg, Missouri, U.S.
Political party	Republican (from 1975)
Other political affiliations	Democratic (until 1975)
Spouses	Joseph Fallin ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 1998)​ Wade Christensen ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	3 (with Fallin) 3 stepchildren (with Christensen)
Education	Oklahoma Baptist University Oklahoma State University, Stillwater (BS)
Signature

Mary Fallin (born December 9, 1954) is an American politician. She served as the 27th governor of Oklahoma from 2011 to 2019. She is a member of the Republican Party.

Mary Fallin was elected governor in 2010 and again in 2014. She is the first and only woman to be elected governor of Oklahoma. She was also the first woman to represent Oklahoma in the U.S. Congress since 1923.

Her political career started in 1990 when she was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives. She served two terms there. In 1994, Fallin became the 14th lieutenant governor of Oklahoma. She served three terms in this role, from 1995 to 2007.

After that, she ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She served two terms there from 2007 to 2011. In 2010, she ran for Governor of Oklahoma and won. She was reelected in 2014. Due to term limits, she could not run for a third term in 2018.

Mary Fallin's Early Life and Education

Mary Copeland was born in Warrensburg, Missouri. She grew up in Tecumseh, Oklahoma. Both her mother and father served as mayor of Tecumseh. They were members of the Oklahoma Democratic Party.

Mary was a Democrat until she was 21 years old. Then she joined the Republican Party of Oklahoma. She became active with the Young Republicans group. She went to Tecumseh High School. She also attended Oklahoma Baptist University.

In 1977, she earned a bachelor's degree from Oklahoma State University. Her degree was in human and environmental sciences. She also studied family relations and child development.

Mary Fallin's Early Career

After college, Mary Fallin worked for several state agencies. These included the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation. She also worked for the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.

Later, she moved to the private sector. She worked as a hotel manager. She also worked as a marketing director for a ski lodge in Utah. In Oklahoma, she was a commercial real estate broker.

Oklahoma House of Representatives (1990–1995)

Fallin as a state representative

Mary Fallin ran for the 85th district in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. She won the election in 1990. In 1992, she was re-elected without any opponents.

She represented Oklahoma City in the House. She wrote 16 bills that became laws. In 1992, she wrote a bill that made it illegal to stalk or harass people. Oklahoma was one of the first states to have such a law.

She was recognized as "Legislator of the Year" in 1993. She was also named "Guardian of Small Business" that year. She worked to protect victims' rights and improve healthcare.

Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma (1995–2007)

After serving in the House, Fallin ran for Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma. She won the election in 1994. She was the first woman and first Republican to hold this office in Oklahoma. She served for 12 years.

She was re-elected in 1998 and again in 2002. As lieutenant governor, she served on many state boards. She worked to lower costs in the state's workers' compensation system. She also promoted a program to give out free gun locks.

Fallin supported a "right-to-work" law. This law makes it illegal for unions to require workers to pay union dues. Oklahoma passed this law in 2001. She was the third longest-serving Lieutenant Governor in Oklahoma history.

U.S. House of Representatives (2007–2011)

Fallin during her time in the House

In 2006, Fallin decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. She won the election for Oklahoma's 5th congressional district. She became the first woman elected to Congress from Oklahoma since 1920.

She resigned as Lieutenant Governor in January 2007 to join Congress. Her district included Oklahoma, Pottawatomie, and Seminole counties.

In 2007, she passed her first bill. It updated federal grants for women's business centers. She also voted for the 2008 Wall Street bailout. However, she voted against the auto industry rescue plan.

Key Committees and Groups

Mary Fallin served on several important committees:

• House Committee on Armed Services
• House Committee on Small Business
• House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• United States House Committee on Natural Resources

She also served on the Executive Committee of the National Republican Congressional Committee. She was Vice Chairman of the Congressional Women's Caucus.

Governor of Oklahoma (2011–2019)

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin at a ribbon cutting ceremony in Ponca City, Oklahoma in 2011

In 2010, Mary Fallin ran for Governor of Oklahoma. She won the Republican nomination. She then defeated the Democratic candidate, Jari Askins. She became the first female governor of Oklahoma.

When Fallin was elected, Republicans won all 11 statewide positions in Oklahoma. This was a first in the state's history.

Economic Policies

Fallin wanted to remove Oklahoma's state income tax. She also wanted to increase sales taxes. In 2016, the state income tax was lowered from 5.25% to 5%. This meant less money for the state.

A big drop in oil and gas prices hurt the state's income. This led to a large budget shortfall. Fallin proposed increasing taxes on services and electronic items. She also suggested raising the cigarette tax.

She signed a law that cut funding to public schools. Some rural schools even went to a four-day school week. In 2016, she signed a law requiring online retailers to collect sales taxes.

In 2017, Fallin tried to expand sales tax to 164 services. These included utility services, cable TV, and legal services. She also proposed removing the state sales tax on groceries.

Gun Laws

In 2014, Fallin vetoed a bill about gun permits. The legislature overrode her veto. In 2015, she vetoed a bill that would have allowed guns in parks.

In 2018, she vetoed a bill that would let adults carry guns without a permit or training. The NRA criticized her for this.

Environmental Views

Fallin was part of a group of governors who opposed federal environmental rules. In 2015, she issued an order against creating an emissions-reduction plan. This was under the Clean Power Plan.

In 2016, she declared October 13 as "Oilfield Prayer Day." She asked people to thank God for the oil and gas industry. She later changed the proclamation to include people of "all faiths."

Local Government Rules

In 2014, Fallin signed a law that stopped cities from setting their own minimum wages. It also prevented them from requiring sick leave. This law was aimed at Oklahoma City.

In 2015, she signed a law that stopped local governments from banning oil and gas drilling. This bill was a response to a city in Texas banning fracking.

Education Changes

In 2014, Fallin signed a bill to stop using the Common Core State Standards. Oklahoma had adopted these standards in 2010.

In 2015, she signed a law that expanded charter schools statewide. Before, they were only allowed in Tulsa and Oklahoma counties. The law required charter schools to be free and open to all students.

In 2018, Fallin made comments about teachers who wanted raises. She compared them to "a teenage kid that wants a better car." She also claimed that some protest groups were involved in a teachers' strike.

Working with Native American Tribes

During her time as governor, Oklahoma had a legal dispute with the Choctaw Nation and Chickasaw Nation. This was about water rights. In 2016, they reached an agreement.

In 2015, Fallin signed a bill for a $25 million bond. This was to complete the Native American Cultural Center and Museum. In 2017, she approved a plan for the Shawnee Tribe to build a casino.

Mary Fallin's Personal Life

Mary Fallin married Joseph Fallin in 1984. They had three children together. In 2009, she married Wade Christensen. They have a blended family with a total of six children.

Honors and Awards

Mary Fallin has received many awards. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame. She was also named "Woman of the Year in Government" in 1998. In 1993, she was "Legislator of the Year."

Images for kids

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  Rep. Mary Fallin, Keith Ellison, and Jerry McNerney among Congressional deligate meet with Commander of Multi-National Force – Iraq General David Petraeus in 2007

• 

  Governor Mary Fallin stands with a family that survived the devastating 2013 Moore tornado with winds exceeding 200 miles per hour

See also

• Government of Oklahoma
• 53rd Oklahoma Legislature
• 54th Oklahoma Legislature
• Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
• List of female governors in the United States
• List of female lieutenant governors in the United States
• Women in the United States House of Representatives