Research published last week The Barbara Lee Family Foundation shows the opportunities and challenges for women who are second in command. Some of them are gaining more and more public notoriety as they carve out a space separate from the governor they work with.

Among the findings of the study, a majority of voters believe that female lieutenant governors are eligible to serve as governors, and the office can prepare these women for the role.

“They’re sleeping in terms of achieving parity for women because I don’t think people really think too much about it,” said Amanda Hunter, executive director of a foundation that conducts unbiased research on women in the US. policy.

This is reflected in some new research based on work by Lake Research Partners and Bellwether Research and Consulting. In January, the groups polled online 2,900 voters likely to vote in 2024 for their opinions on lieutenant governors in general and the intersection of the sexes.

Voters are generally unaware of the role and responsibilities of lieutenant governors, which vary by state.

“The role of lieutenant governors is really a blank slate in the eyes of voters, so they have the opportunity to define it,” Hunter said.

Only 12 states have female governors, but 14 women were elected lieutenant governor in the 2022 midterms, including eight incumbents who were re-elected. This has resulted in a nearly gender-matched percentage of women in this position this year, more than at the end of 2022, when 19, or 42.2 percent, of all lieutenant governors were women. One woman was assigned to the role.

According to the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, most likely, voters did not have a preference for the gender of lieutenant governor. For those who did, the men preferred the male Lieutenant Governor and the women preferred the female. Most voters who self-identify as Black, Hispanic, AAPI, Indigenous, or Indigenous have said they prefer a woman in this role.

Most said that their friends and neighbors were also likely to be gender-neutral. But of those who think their neighbors would have a preference, both men and women said they thought their neighbors would prefer a man in that role.

“Some voters still have a slight barrier of imagination when it comes to seeing a woman lieutenant governor if they assume their neighbor is likely to vote for a man over a woman,” Hunter said.

Just a few decades ago, lieutenant governors were relegated to a secondary role, including by the governors they worked with. As for female lieutenant governors, the situation appears to be changing as more of them take over explicit leadership in setting policy priorities.

This could have implications for higher office: more than 70 lieutenant governors, including 12 women, became governor in 1980.

Juliana Stratton, Illinois lieutenant governor and chair of the National Association of Lieutenant Governors, a bipartisan organization, said that while her role is not clearly defined in the state constitution, she has been working to add several initiatives to her office. This includes work for justice and equality, women and girls, and care. Stratton is the first black man to be elected lieutenant governor of a state.

“The skill set that I bring to the work I do is to bring people together to solve problems, identify problems, and then make sure we lift communities and let the voices of the community guide us in how we solve these problems,” the Democrat said.

Other lieutenant governors are also working to take the lead and share their life experiences at work.

In Arkansas, Republican Lieutenant. government Leslie Rutledge attracted public attention after tornado damage in Arkansas a few weeks agowhen she spoke about her experience as a former Attorney General in providing advice to residents.

In Minnesota, he is a lieutenant in the Democratic Party. government of Peggy Flanagan gave a personal answer to a state senator who said he didn’t know anyone who was hungry.

Lieutenant in California government of Eleni Kunalakis established a transgender advisory board and appeared on national television talk about the state’s precautions after a major flood.

Kunalakis, a former US ambassador to Hungary, is also in contention for a higher post. On Monday she announced that she intended to run for governor in 2026. Kunalakis, a Democrat, was elected as California’s first female lieutenant governor in 2018 along with the governor. Gavin Newsom, which has a limited duration. If elected, she would become California’s first female governor.

The ink was barely dry on the Oklahoma Governor’s paper. Kevin Stitt’s signature when the American Civil Liberties Union sued to stop enforcement of Senate Bill 613, a law that would ban sex reassignment hormones and surgery on underage children.

ACLU and Lambda Legal filed legal trial On Tuesday, an Oklahoma federal court blocked a recently signed law that would make it a felony to grant gender transition to persons under the age of 18. The lawsuit alleges that the state law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the US Constitution.

“We all deserve the freedom to control our bodies and seek the health care we need, including gender-affirming care,” said Megan Lambert, Oklahoma-based ACLU legal director. “The Oklahoma ACLU and our partners have alerted legislators that we will take immediate action on any ban on gender-affirming care that becomes law, and today is the day we deliver on that promise.”

Oklahoma became the 18th state to restrict gender reassignment procedures for minors when the Republican governor signed the bill Monday after a large majority past both chambers vote along party lines. The law takes effect immediately.

“Last year, I called for a statewide ban on all irreversible sex reassignment surgery and juvenile hormone therapy, so I am thrilled to sign this legislation today and protect our children,” Mr. Stitt said. “We can’t turn a blind eye to what’s going on in our country, and as governor, I’m proud to stand up for what’s right and ban life-changing transitional surgeries on children in Oklahoma.”

Among those who welcomed the passage of the bill was Matt Sharp, director of the Freedom Defense Alliance’s Legislative Defense Center, who praised Mr. Stitt and the Legislative Assembly for “upholding the truth.”

“To deny the truth that we are either male or female hurts real people, especially vulnerable children,” Mr Sharp said. “Young people deserve to live in a society that does not expose them to risky experiments to which they cannot actually consent, including so-called ‘sex reassignment’ operations and drugs.”

He noted that some European countries, including Sweden, England and Finland, restrict such procedures for children.

“By passing this law, Oklahoma has taken an important step towards protecting children and parents from being forced into life-changing, often sterilizing surgeries and medications,” Mr. Sharp said.

I just signed a law banning all gender reassignment surgery and hormone therapy for children under 18. We must protect our children!https://t.co/BJlX4BBY4c

— Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) May 2, 2023

ACLU lawsuit filed on behalf of Dr. Oklahoma City. Shauna Lawlis and five children aged 12 to 17 undergoing gender reassignment treatment said the law would have “devastating effects on transgender teenagers in Oklahoma.”

“These teenagers will not be able to receive the critical medical care recommended by their healthcare professionals, and their parents agree that they need it,” the statement said. “In addition, the treatment of those who are already receiving assistance will be stopped. For some transgender teenagers, the prospect of losing the medical care they need is unbearable.”

The ACLU was busy filing three lawsuits last week to block measures to ban “gender-affirming care” in Indiana, Missouri and Tennessee.

“We are confident that the state will prove completely incapable of defending this law in court and welcome the opportunity to fight for the safety, dignity, and equality of trans Oklahoma,” said Harper Seldin, ACLU LGBTQ & HIV Project staff lawyer.

American Principles President Terry Schilling disagreeapplauding Mr. Stitt for signing the measure and declaring that “the momentum is on our side”.

“While the predatory transgender industry has tried to sell the country what it euphemistically calls “gender-affirming care,” more and more Americans are realizing what it really is: physical sterilization and mutilation for ideology and profit.” said Mr. Schilling.