Meet IGNITE alumna Katie Fire Thunder, the youngest State Legislator in Montana!
Katie Fire Thunder, member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe, was was unanimously elected by the county commissioners to serve as the Representative of House District 59 in December 2025. At age 25, Katie is the youngest state legislator elected Montana.
Katie first joined IGNITE at our Young Women Run conference in DC. With training, mentorship, and a community that believed in her, she turned her passion for policy-making into into a place at the state capitol. Katie is a living example of what happens when we invest in young women’s leadership. She's leading and she's showing what’s possible when young people learn to navigate political systems.
Born and raised in Bozeman, Katie earned a bachelor of arts in political science with a minor in Native American studies from from Montana State University in 2024. She then served as a legal assistant at the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office and co-founded Bozeman Tenants United, a nonprofit fighting for safe and affordable housing.