She was Utah's first woman governor. She assumed the office of Governor of the State of Utah after former governor Mike Leavitt resigned his office to serve as Administrator of the EPA.

She didn't get along with the party leadership and she was dumped by the nominating convention for another term.

I am really disapointed that I am the first one to write a review of governor Walker. Do Utahn's care so little? I don't know. I think that governor Olene Walker has been a decent governor as far as the short amount of time that she has, and will spend in office, as she is leaving in Jan. of 2005. Olene Walker is governor of Utah by succession, having succeded Mike Leavitt after he resigned to head the enviromental protection agency. It is probably impossible to give her a fair rating, considering the fact that she has had, and will have such little time to be governor, and does not really have the chance to prove herself either way. From what I have seen though, she seems to be a decent governor, having a strong commitment to education, and seems to be above all- a decent, caring, compassionate person. I have met governor Walker, and that is the impression she gave me, besides what I have read about her. I believe she deserves another term in office, but, apperently many Utahn's seem to be far enough to the right, that they think she is too moderate, or there is the possibility that Utahn's either consciencly or sub-consciencly are uncomfortable having a woman governor. (Olene Walker lost the Republican nomination to Jon Huntsman J.r. and Nolan Kerras. Huntsman later secured the nomination.) At the same time, as I think governor Walker deserves to be elected, I am also excited for the almost certainty that Jon Huntsman will be the next governor, (when you put into consideration, that Utah as a whole so rarely votes democrat.) as I believe that Jon Huntsman would be an effective governor for Utah. Considering Olene Walker's short amount of time in office, and that she does not have the time needed to be fairly judged as a good or bad governor- I think she has been decent thus far, which is why I give her three out of five stars.