‘Way to go Jude’: Judy Martz statue unveiled at Capitol inspires Montanans

A Judy Martz statue that took nearly two years to create was unveiled at the Capitol building on Monday and brought back memories for some of the woman who was Montana’s first and only female governor.

The bronze statue had roughly 400 contributors, including Sen. Al Olszewski, R-Kalispell, who sponsored Senate Bill 275 in 2019,  which gave a committee five years to raise funds to put a museum-quality statue or bust in her honor on the Capitol grounds. The budget for the project was $125,000, which the Martz Statue Project raised from donors and privately funds. SB 275 stated that if the statue was not installed by Oct. 1, 2024, the act would be voided.

A Judy Martz statue is unveiled by Gov. Greg Gianforte, right, and Gareth Curtiss, the sculptor, in the Montana State Capitol building in Helena on July 29.

SONNY TAPIA, Independent Record

Martz served as the state’s 22nd governor from Jan. 1, 2001, to Jan. 3, 2005. She was Republican Gov. Marc Racicot’s running mate in 1996. She ran for governor after Racicot was barred from seeking a third term. She died

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