A "mama grizzly," Mary Fallin, wins nomination for OK governor

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Rep. Mary Fallin (R) defeated three challengers Tuesday to win her party's nomination in the Oklahoma governor's race.

In November, Fallin will face either state Attorney General Drew Edmondson or Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, who were squaring off in the Democratic primary. With 95 percent of precincts reporting, Askins held a slim lead.

Fallin received more than 56 percent of the GOP vote, easily outpacing state Sen. Randy Brogdon of Owasso and Oklahoma City area businessmen Robert Hubbard and Roger Jackson.

A 20-year veteran of Oklahoma politics, Fallin raised more than $2.4 million for the race, more than eight times as much as Brogdon, and national Republicans hailed her victory. She was the first woman and first Republican elected lieutenant governor in Oklahoma, a post she held for 12 years before running in 2006 for Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District seat.