Montana's first female governor, Judy Martz dies

HELENA (AP) — Montana’s first female governor, Judy Martz, has died at the age of 74.

Martz was in office from 2001 to 2005.

According to reports, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2014.

In a statement, Gov. Steve Bullock said, “Lisa and I join Montanans in honoring the life and legacy of Governor Judy Martz, Montana’s first female governor. While she will always leave her mark in our history as a trailblazer for women, we will also remember the spirited enthusiasm she brought both in her service to Montanans and through her lifelong love for our state.”

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines stated, “Governor Martz was a woman of grit and faith who fearlessly blazed new trails from the Olympics to the Governor’s Mansion. Judy was rarely seen without a pin of the humble turtle on her lapel and would often invoke a saying that embodied her fearlessness and courage ‘Behold the turtle, he only moves forward when his neck’s stuck out.’”