NASHVILLE (AP) - Jane Eskind of Nashville, the first woman to win a statewide election in Tennessee, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Civil Liberties Union on Dec. 8.

The ACLU said Eskind will be recognized for her nearly five decades of leadership in advancing the role of women in politics and changing the political landscape in Tennessee.

Eskind was elected to the Public Service Commission in 1980 in her landmark victory. In 1978, she was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, losing to Howard Baker Jr. in the general election. In 1986, she ran for governor, losing in the Democratic primary to Ned McWherter.