Judy Martz, Montana’s first woman to become governor, was memorialized with a larger-than-life bronze statue at the state Capitol in Helena. The bronze statue of Judy Martz stands near the entry to the governor’s office on the second floor.

On July 29, 2024, the statue was unveiled during a moving ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda with an outpouring of praise from members of both parties. Included were her current children, Gov. Greg Gianforte, members of Judy’s staff, current politicians, and veteran Democrat legislator Diane Sands. Former Gov. Marc Racicot was in attendance as well. He had selected Judy to serve beside him as lieutenant governor for his second term, 1986‑90. She was then elected as governor and served from 1990-94.

“Life is like a turtle!” Judy often said. “It can never move forward unless its neck is stuck out!” Those attending the unveiling wore shiny pins depicting a turtle moving forward, led by an extended head. 

Judy never hesitated to take on a cause that she believed in. I don’t believe she considered herself a “women’s-libber.” She just felt she could handle the task — sometimes with a motherly attitude. Breaking the glass ceiling of Montana’s top executive office was a great challenge. Working with a frugal government budget, much of her tenure focused on economic activity and industrial development. 

She joined the movement, “Shovels of Solidarity,” as it passed through Missoula and headed to Nevada. Eureka native Bill Gwynn gave mill owner, Jim Hurst, the idea to start the protest as the U.S. Forest Service refused to allow a washed-out bridge to be rebuilt. As a result, a local woman couldn’t access her private land. Gwynn, my sister’s husband, told Hurst, my lumber mill partner, that we should take our shovels down “and help that woman build that bridge.” 

Thousands of shovels were loaded on a huge highway truck, and the “world’s longest picnic trailer” was built on wheels. The local VFW post loaded up a school bus of interested folks and they were joined by a colorful old truck from Kalispell with blazing horns and waving flags. Then Gov. Judy Martz signed a gold-painted shovel to add to the entourage.

They were greeted with a big party when they arrived in Jarbidge, Nevada. The greeters included senators, congressmen, and state and county officials who had gathered to protest federal land access restrictions. 

The mill in Eureka is long gone now, thanks to a lack of access to U.S. Forest Service timber. 

The beautiful bronze depiction of Judy was created by Gareth Curtiss, the same artist who created a similar piece depicting longtime U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield and his wife, Maureen. While governor, Judy was proud to unveil the beautiful Mansfield bronze statue 20 years before the dedication of her own statue. 

Judy was also a popular Olympic speed skater, and her husband, Harry, operated a large garbage collection business in Butte, Montana. In the years before running for office, she had served on staff for Sen. Conrad Burns, and her many other activities included helping develop the High Altitude Speed Skating Center for Olympic class training in Butte.