Older Women Mayoral Candidates --Hazel McCallion and Carole Keeton Strayhorn

A friend (Hi Sue!) told me about Hazel McCallion, the 88-year-old mayor of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada who has held her post since 1978.

Her story got me thinking about another female politician, Carole Keeton Strayhorn who although she is younger than Ms. McCallion has many characteristics in common with her.

Ms Strayhorn, 69, ran for mayor of Austin, just recently and lost. However, she was Austin’s first female mayor, when she won the mayor’s election in 1977, and she held onto the seat through three elections. That’s a record, Ms Strayhorn can be proud of.

Both women are colorful characters and hands-on leaders. Ms. McCallion loves hockey and is a hockey player. She also participates in community trash clean-ups.

Ms. Strayhorn, adores being a grandmother and is a feisty wordsmith, as exemplified by this quote from her 2006 campaign for Texas governor against incumbent Rick Perry.

“It is time for a change. It is time to send Governor Perry packin’.

I am a fiscal conservative.

I am a common sense conservative.

I am not a weak leadin’, ethics ignorin’, pointin’ the finger at everyone blamin’, special session callin’, public school slashin’, slush fund spendin’, toll road buildin’, special interest panderin’, rainy day fund raidin’, fee increasin’, no property tax cuttin’, promise breakin’, do-nothin’ Rick Perry phony conservative.”

Both women also came from fairly well-to-do families. Ms.McCallion’s father owned a fishing and canning company, and when she married, her husband’s family gave the newly weds, the land, which would later become Mississauga, the town, she became mayor of. Ms. Strayhorn is the daughter of W. Page Keeton, a long-time dean of the University of Texas law school in Austin and has been married three times.