Widow's succession

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Widow's succession is a political practice prominent in some countries commonly used in the early part of the 20th century, by which a politician who died in office was directly succeeded by his widow, either through election or direct appointment to the seat. Many of the earliest women to hold political office in the modern era attained their positions through this practice. There have also sometimes been instances of politicians being directly succeeded by their wives when they had merely stepped down from office rather than dying, but this is not the same phenomenon as widow's succession.

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