Zales Ecton

Zales Nelson Ecton (April 1, 1898 – March 3, 1961) was an American Republican politician from Montana who represented the state in the United States Senate, serving from 1947 to 1953.

Zales Nelson Ecton
United States Senator from Montana
In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1953
Preceded by	Burton K. Wheeler
Succeeded by	Mike Mansfield
Member of the Montana Senate
In office 1937-1946
Member of the Montana House of Representatives
In office 1933-1937
Personal details
Born	(1898-04-01)April 1, 1898 Weldon, Iowa
Died	March 3, 1961(1961-03-03) (aged 62) Bozeman, Montana
Resting place	Sunset Hills Cemetery
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Occupation	Rancher

Ecton was born in Weldon, Decatur County, Iowa. He moved with his family to Gallatin County, Montana, when he was nine years old. He attended the Gallatin County public schools, the then Montana State College (later Montana State University) at Bozeman and the University of Chicago law school. In 1921, he became a rancher and gained interests in grain and livestock.

Entering politics, he was a member of the Montana state House from 1933 to 1937 and the Montana state Senate from 1937 to 1946. In 1946, he ran for the Montana United States Senate seat which was being vacated by Democrat Burton K. Wheeler, who had lost the Democratic primary.

As part of the Republican takeover of the Senate in 1946, Ecton defeated Democratic state Supreme Court Justice Leif Erickson by a vote of 54% to 46%. He served in the Senate for one term, having been narrowly defeated for reelection in 1952 by U.S. Representative Mike Mansfield, a Democratic college professor and Far Eastern expert. Ecton resumed his ranching business until his death in Bozeman.

Ecton was the last Republican U.S. senator from Montana until the election in 1988 of Conrad Burns, who served from 1989 to 2007.