Emma Cromwell from Allen, Kentucky was the first woman
to hold statewide office in the commonwealth when she was voted state librarian
in 1896. Later, Cromwell was elected secretary of state in 1923, the first
election after women won the right to vote. While holding that office, she
became the first woman to act as Kentucky's governor during the chief executive's
absence from the state.
Source:
Courier Journal. Bartlett, Beverly. " The Legacy of
E.G. Cromwell." April 18, 1993, page 12.
