A strong sponsor of women's rights, Mary Risteau became a legislator, a clerk of the Circuit Court, and the first woman elected to both the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland State Senate.
Mary Eliza Watters Risteau (April 24, 1890  July 24, 1978) was an American politician who was the first woman elected to both the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland State Senate. Risteau was also a clerk of the Circuit Court for Harford County; she was appointed in 1938 and served for one year. She served on several committees, including the Committee on Education and the Committee on Agriculture, during her time in the General Assembly, and she was a strong sponsor of women's rights. Concurrent to her role as a legislator, she served as the first woman on the Maryland State Board of Education for 16 years. 
