Ma Ferguson
Miriam Ferguson, known popularly as Ma Ferguson, was a two-time Governor of Texas, serving from 1925-1927 and again from 1933-1935.
After her husband, James "Pa" Ferguson was impeached and removed from office in 1917 (the only Texas Governor to have been), and his failure to either win another term or win the United States Presidency, he entered Ma as candidate for Governor in 1924. Ma openly admitted he would provide "advice" and most of her campaign stops had her speaking briefly then turning the platform over to her husband. Notwithstanding that the outgoing Governor openly campaigned for the Republican candidate, she won the election, making her the first female Governor of Texas and only the second in the United States at that time.
She lost in 1926 to the state Attorney General (who investigated Pa Ferguson for embezzlement and recovered over $1 million for Texas taxpayers), but won again in 1932.
During her two terms in office Ma (likely at Pa's direction) issued over 4,000 pardons, primarily to people violating Prohibition laws; it was rumored but unproven that the pardons were in exchange for bribes. As a result, Texas changed its state Constitution to remove this power from the Governor and give it to the Texas Board of Pardon and Parole.[1]
References
- ↑ Under the current law, the Board must issue a positive recommendation before a pardon or commutation can be granted (but the Governor can still deny such); the Governor can only unilaterally issue a one-time, 30-day reprieve (which is rarely given). This causes confusion among liberal death penalty opponents, who routinely petition the Governor for a pardon that he cannot unilaterally grant (as only twice has the Board recommended commutation of a death sentence and the Governor concurred).
