by Kathy Groob, Publisher ElectWomen Magazine

It’s a new year, but the same old story for women.  Twenty-six new governors were sworn into office at the stroke of midnight.  Just six are women.  This is the same number of women governors who served in 2010.   The nation says goodbye to three of its female governors, Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, Linda Lingle of Hawaii and Jodi Rell of Connecticut. Continuing as governor for the remainder of their terms are Christine Gregorie D-Washington and Beverly Perdue D-North Carolina. Jan Brewer R-Arizona was re-elected for a second term.

Three new women were elected governors, all Republicans.  Susana Martinez (R-NM); Mary Fallin (R-OK); Nikki Haley (R-SC) were elected.  Martinez, a Latina, and Haley, an Indian-American, are the first two women of color to serve as governors. In all three states, these women will be the first of their gender to hold this office. The total number of women governors in 2011 will be six (two Democrats and 4 Republicans).

In total there were ten women candidates for governor in eight states, five of which were Republican and five Democrat.  Two other very important races for women were the woman-versus-woman gubernatorial races in New Mexico and Oklahoma.  While impressive this year’s four women winners is not a record; six is the largest number of women to win gubernatorial races in one election year (2006). The largest number of women to serve simultaneously as governors is nine, which occurred in 2004 and again in 2007.

Data courtesy of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.