Wright, Mary Allen

Mary Wright was an important political figure in late-19th and early-20th century Idaho. She was active in the populist movement and woman suffrage. In 1898 she was nominated for the position of Idaho State School Superintendent of Public Instruction by the Populist Party, a nomination she declined after a fusion candidate was promoted. She instead accepted nomination to the state House of Representatives, from Kootenai County. She was elected and served as chair of the Populist Caucus, perhaps the first woman to lead a party in a state legislature in the United States. She was nominated for Speaker. After completing her term she was elected Clerk of the House for the sixth session in 1901, and also convened the session beginning in 1903. She worked professionally in politics until the Populist Party stopped nominating candidates.
She married George G. Wright in 1887 and was divorced from him in 1904.