Politics / Sarah Palin 7 Women Who Might Beat Palin to the White House By Jason Farago, Newser Staff Posted Jul 30, 2009 6:00 AM CDT Copied Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano exits the subway in New York, Wednesday, July 29, 2009. The former Arizona governor has been spoken of as a possible presidential candidate. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Sarah Palin's resignation has fueled talk of a presidential bid, but the first female occupant of the Oval Office may yet be a Democrat, the Washington Post surmises. Here are some of the leading possibilities. Kirsten Gillibrand: the New York senator has impressive fundraising chops and a killer instinct—her nickname is "Tracy Flick," after Reese Witherspoon's insanely competitive character in Election. Janet Napolitano: the homeland security secretary comes from the increasingly Democratic west, and her political savvy is second to none. Karenna Gore Schiff: for true believers, she's the successor to her father Al. Amy Klobuchar: hugely popular, the Minnesota senator is only 49 and has national ambitions. Michelle Obama: even more popular than her husband—if only she wanted the job. For the rest of the list, click the link below. (More Sarah Palin stories.) Report an error