The year is 1998, 4 years after the "Year of the Woman." Arizona elects five women to its top statewide offices. Four Republicans, and one Democrat. Governor Jane Dee Hull, Secretary of State Betsey Bayless, Attorney General Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Public Instruction Lisa Graham Keegan, and State Treasurer Carol Springer. The first state in the country to pull it off. Arizona has had a long history of electing women to statewide offices. Arizona elected five women to statewide offices as well as its first female Senator. This isn't new for Arizonans, they elected women into statewide office just in 2014, with Michele Reagan as Secretary of State and Diane Douglas as Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Arizonans are very civically independent people, they take their right to vote extremely serious. They do their homework on candidates, and even though Republican usually dominate here, they still choose the best candidate they see fit, whether they be male or female. Arizona now has two female Senators, Kyrsten Sinema, and Martha McSally, who was appointed back in December. Not only are we represented federally by women, but we are also represented by three women at the state capitol. Kimberly Yee, State Treasurer, Kathy Hoffman Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Katie Hobbs Secretary of State. Not only are they women, but two of them are Democrats. Back in 1998, four were Republicans and just one was a Democrat.

Although we Arizonans have elected several women into office, we are still seeing a shift in who represents us. Democrats made huge strides in the last election in the state legislature, and several think that 2018 was just the beginning. The Grand Canyon State is very picky when it comes to its leaders, and it has no fear of electing women. 2020 is less than one year away, and it will be interesting to see how Arizona not only votes for its state leaders, but also for President.