Diane Sands
{{short description|American politician from Montana}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Diane Sands
| honorific-suffix =
| image =
| state_senate = Montana
| district = 49th
| term_start = January 5, 2015
| term_end =
| preceded = David Wanzenried
| succeeded =
| office1 = Member of the Montana House of Representatives
| constituency1 = 95th District
| term_start1 = January 1, 2007
| term_end1 = January 7, 2013
| preceded1 = Tom Facey
| succeeded1 = Tom Steenberg
| constituency2 = 66th District
| term_start2 = January 6, 1997
| term_end2 = January 4, 1999
| preceded2 = Mike Kadas
| succeeded2 = Gail Gutsche
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1947|03|23}}
| birth_place = St. Ignatius, Montana
| residence = Missoula, Montana
| party = Democrat
| spouse = Ann Mary Dussault
| website =
}}
Haysel Diane Sands (born March 23, 1947) is an American politician from Montana. As a Democrat, she served in the Montana State Senate, representing the 49th senate district in Missoula, Montana. Previously, she served in the Montana House of Representatives representing first the 66th district and then the renumbered 95th district.
Biography
Born in St. Ignatius, Montana, Sands obtained a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Montana[http://nwda-db.wsulibs.wsu.edu/findaid/ark:/80444/xv66365] Guide to the Diane Sands Papers at the University of Montana before doing graduate work at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Sands began her career in the Montana State Legislature in 1996, when she was appointed as the Democratic nominee for the Montana House of Representatives in the 66th district. The previous nominee, incumbent Rep. Mike Kadas, had just been appointed Mayor of Missoula following the resignation of Daniel Kemmis. She was elected, without opposition, in November 1996 and took office in January 1997. She did not run for re-election in 1998 when her employment required her to move to Oregon. She returned to Montana in December 1999.
In 2006, when Tom Facey was termed out after eight years in the House, Sands ran to succeed him in the renumbered 95th district. She faced no primary opposition and defeated her Republican opponent by 60% to 40%.{{citation |title=2006 Legislative Races General Canvass - November 7th |url=http://sos.mt.gov/ELB/archives/2006/elections/general/2006_Legislative_General_Final_Results.pdf |accessdate=2007-08-29 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070629192133/http://sos.mt.gov/ELB/archives/2006/elections/general/2006_Legislative_General_Final_Results.pdf |archivedate = June 29, 2007}}. She was re-elected in 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014.{{citation |title=Montana Secretary of State: Term Limits |accessdate=2010-12-07 |url=http://sos.mt.gov/Elections/Term_Limits/index.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161213024633/http://sos.mt.gov/Elections/Term_Limits/index.asp |archive-date=2016-12-13 |url-status=dead }}
Sands was elected to the Montana Senate in 2014, succeeding the term-limited David Wanzenried. In the 2014 general election, she prevailed over the Republican candidate, former state representative Dick Haines, by just 33 votes (50.2% to 49.8%). She ran for re-election in 2018, and defeated Republican candidate Chase Reynolds by 343 votes (51.6% to 48.4%).{{cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Diane_Sands|title=Ballotpedia: Diane Sands|accessdate=2019-09-04}} Her term ends in January 2023, at which point she will be term limited from the senate, although able to run for the house.{{cite web|url=https://sosmt.gov/elections/term_limits/|title=Term Limits - Montana Secretary of State |date=22 February 2018 |accessdate=2019-09-04}}
A lesbian, she was the first ever openly gay member of the Montana Legislature. She served alongside several other LGBT legislators, including Sen. Christine Kaufmann and Bryce Bennett (D–Missoula).{{citation |url=http://www.glli.org/out_officials |title=Openly LGBT Appointed and Elected Officials |accessdate=2007-08-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708163309/http://www.glli.org/out_officials |archivedate=2007-07-08 }}. Her 1996 campaign won the support of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.{{citation |url=http://www.glinn.com/news/10011596.htm |title=Record Number of Victory Fund Candidates Triumph |date=1996-11-06 |accessdate=2007-08-29}}.
Her partner, Ann Mary Dussault, is a former Missoula County commissioner and Montana legislator. Having first assumed legislative office in 1975, she served four terms and was the first female majority leader in the nation.{{citation |url=http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/03/20/news/local/news04.txt |title=Missoula County official to leave after 30 years |date=2008-03-19 |accessdate=2008-03-20 |publisher=Missoulian}}.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120922073158/http://leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/60th/leg_info.asp?HouseID=1&SessionID=91&LAWSID=1041 Legislative homepage]
- [http://nwda.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv66365 Diane Sands Papers] (University of Montana Archives)
- {{C-SPAN|108351}}
{{Authority control}}{{Montana State Senators}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sands, Diane}}
Category:Columbian College of Arts and Sciences alumni
Category:American lesbian politicians
Category:LGBTQ state legislators in Montana
Category:Democratic Party members of the Montana House of Representatives
Category:People from St. Ignatius, Montana
Category:Politicians from Missoula, Montana
Category:University of Montana alumni
Category:Women state legislators in Montana