Montana is a state in the Mountain region of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west,North Dakota and South Dakota to the east,Wyoming to the south,and the Canadian provinces of Alberta,British Columbia,and Saskatchewan to the north. It is the fourth-largest state by area,the eighth-least populous state,and the third-least densely populated state. Its capital is Helena,while the most populous city is Billings. The western half of the state contains numerous mountain ranges,while the eastern half is characterized by western prairie terrain and badlands,with smaller mountain ranges found throughout the state.
Missoula is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County,Montana,United States. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot and Blackfoot Rivers in western Montana and at the convergence of five mountain ranges,thus it is often described as the "hub of five valleys". The 2020 United States Census shows the city's population at 73,489 and the population of the Missoula Metropolitan Area at 117,922. After Billings,Missoula is the second-largest city and metropolitan area in Montana. Missoula is home to the University of Montana,a public research university.
Jeannette Pickering Rankin was an American politician and women's rights advocate who became the first woman to hold federal office in the United States. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican from Montana in 1916 for one term,then was elected again in 1940. Rankin remains the only woman ever elected to Congress from Montana.
Dorothy Louise Slaughter was an American politician elected to 16 terms as a United States Representative from New York,serving from 1987 until her death in 2018. She served as the Dean of the New York Congressional Delegation for the last few terms as Congresswoman before her death.
Ronald Charles Marlenee was a Republican politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from the U.S. state of Montana from January 3,1977,to January 3,1993. He represented Montana's 2nd congressional district.
Haysel Diane Sands is an American politician from Montana. As a Democrat,she served in the Montana State Senate,representing the 49th senate district in Missoula,Montana.
Women have served in the United States House of Representatives,the lower chamber of the United States Congress,since 1917 following the election of Republican Jeannette Rankin from Montana,the first woman in Congress. In total,375 women have been U.S. representatives and seven more have been non-voting delegates. As of March 7,2023,there are 125 women in the U.S. House of Representatives,making women 28.7% of the total. Of the 382 women who have served in the House,251 have been Democrats and 131 have been Republicans. One woman has been Speaker of the House,Democrat Nancy Pelosi of California.
The Gleim Building,265 W. Front St.,Missoula,Montana,was a brothel constructed in 1893 for Mary Gleim,a notorious madam who owned at least eight "female boarding houses". This building serves as an example of a vernacular adaptation of Romanesque architecture.
Monica Joan Tranel is an American rower,lawyer,and political candidate. She competed at the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics. A member of the Democratic Party,Tranel ran unsuccessfully for Montana's 1st congressional district in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Montana. She announced a bid for the same congressional seat in anticipation of the 2024 elections. Before running for Congress,she was twice a candidate for the Montana Public Service Commission and sought election to the Helena City Commission.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. state of Montana may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Montana since 1997. Same-sex couples and families headed by same-sex couples are eligible for all of the protections available to opposite-sex married couples,as same-sex marriage has been recognized since November 2014. State statutes do not address discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity;however,the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBT people is illegal under federal law. A number of cities also provide protections in housing and public accommodations.
Vermel Marie Whalen was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives,serving a Cleveland area district from 1986 to 1998.
Ellie Boldman is an American attorney and politician serving as a Democratic member of the Montana Senate,representing District 45. Previously,she served in the Montana House of Representatives,representing District 90,which includes central Missoula,Montana,from 2011 through 2019. Due to state constitutional term limits,Boldman was unable to file for re-election to the Montana House of Representatives and subsequently filed for election to the Montana Senate Seat 45 in 2020.
Kathleen Williams is an American politician from Montana. A member of the Democratic Party,she served in the nonpartisan Environmental Quality Council of the Montana Legislature and the Montana Department of Fish,Wildlife and Parks. In 2010,she was elected to the Montana House of Representatives and served three two-year terms before retiring. In 2018 and 2020,Williams ran,unsuccessfully,as the Democratic nominee for Montana's at-large seat in the United States House of Representatives.
Matthew Martin Rosendale Sr. is an American politician and businessman. A Republican,Rosendale represents Montana's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.
Amanda Gayle Curtis is an American politician who serves as the president of the Montana Federation of Public Employees (MFPE),Montana's largest labor union.
Marilyn J. Ryan is a Democratic member of the Montana House of Representatives. She has served the 99th district,which encompasses southwest portions of Missoula,since January 2017.
Kimberly Dudik is an American politician and attorney who served as a member of the Montana House of Representatives from 2013 to 2021. Dudik was a candidate for attorney general of Montana in the 2020 Democratic primary.
Mary Gleim was the leading and most successful madam in the Old West days of Missoula,Montana,owning eight brothels in 1890.
Carolyn Pollan was an American politician who served twelve terms as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives representing Fort Smith from 1975 to 1999. She left office when her eligibility expired,subject to the state term limits law.
Zooey Simone Zephyr is an American politician and university administrator who represents Missoula in the 100th district in the Montana House of Representatives. A member of the Democratic Party,she was elected in the 2022 election,making her the first openly transgender person to be elected to the state legislature in Montana. She was sworn in as a representative on January 2,2023.
