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    Kunesh, Mary K.

    Official Senate Web Page Sessions Served    Other Information

    House 2017-2020 (District 41B); Senate 2021-2022 (District 41); Senate 2023-Present (District 39)

    Party when first elected:  Democratic-Farmer-Labor

    Counties Served:  Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey

    BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

    Date of Birth: 11/20/1960
    Birth Place: St. Paul, Minnesota
    Birth County:
    Birth Country: United States
    Date of Death:
    Gender: Female
    Religion:
    Reported Minority: American Indian
    Other Names:
    Former Name: Kunesh-Podein
    City of Residence (when first elected): New Brighton
    Occupation (when first elected): Library Media Specialist

    EDUCATION

    St. Catherine's University, St. Paul; B.A.; Elementary Education, 1995
    St. Cloud State University; M.A.; Information Media, 2010

    OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

    Municipal Board/Commission: New Brighton (Parks, Recreation and Environment, Chair); 2010 to 02/2017

    FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

    Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

    GENERAL NOTES

    Special legislative concerns: Education, civil justice, environment, American Indian issues.

    During her State Representative tenure her name was Mary Kunesh-Podein.

    She is the first indigenous woman to serve in the Minnesota Senate.

    She refers to herself as a person of Lakota heritage on her 2020 campaign website.

    Her "mother and grandfather [were] enrolled members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe." (Minnesota Lawyer, April 27, 2017)

    She was a founding member of the Native American and People of Color & Indigenous (POCI) caucuses.

    She has 12 siblings (she is nine of thirteen kids) in her family and has a twin.

    Most recent term photo
    Click to view
    Total Days Served: 3106

    SESSIONS SERVED

    94th Legislative Session (2025-2026) (second half of Senate term)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/14/2025
    Body: Senate
    District: 39
    Elected: 11/8/2022
    Residence: New Brighton
    Term of Office: 1/2/2023 to 1/3/2027
    Oath Date: 1/2/2023
    Counties Represented: Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey
    Occupation: Library media specialist/legislator
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Special Session Bills Authored:  2025 1st Sp.S. - Chief Author    2025 1st Sp.S. - Author
    Committees:
    • Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development
    • Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development: Subcommittee on Veterans
    • Education Finance (Chair) [She was chair beginning 2/3/2025. She was co-chair from 1/14/2025 to 2/3/2025.]
    • Education Policy
    • Environment, Climate, and Legacy
    • Rules and Administration: Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct
    • Rules and Administration: Subcommittee on Joint and Permanent Rules
    Leadership Position: Assistant DFL Leader - She was Assistant DFL Leader until February 3, 2025.
    Leadership Position: Assistant Majority Leader - She was Assistant Majority Leader starting February 3, 2025.
    term photo
    Click to view

    93rd Legislative Session (2023-2024)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/2023
    Body: Senate
    District: 39
    Elected: 11/8/2022
    Residence: New Brighton
    Term of Office: 1/2/2023 to 1/3/2027
    Oath Date: 1/3/2023
    Counties Represented: Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey
    Occupation: Library media specialist/legislator
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Committees:
    • Agriculture, Broadband and Rural Development
    • Education Finance (Chair)
    • Education Policy
    • Environment, Climate, and Legacy
    • Rules and Administration: Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct
    Leadership Position: Assistant Majority Leader
    term photo
    Click to view

    92nd Legislative Session (2021-2022)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/5/2021
    Body: Senate
    District: 41
    Elected: 11/3/2020
    Residence: New Brighton
    Term of Office: 1/4/2021 to 1/1/2023
    Oath Date: 1/5/2021
    Counties Represented: Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey
    Occupation: Library media specialist/legislator
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Committees:
    • Education Finance and Policy
    • Mining and Forestry Policy
    • Redistricting
    Leadership Position: Assistant Minority Leader
    term photo
    Click to view

    91st Legislative Session (2019-2020)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/8/2019
    Body: House
    District: 41B
    Elected: 11/6/2018
    Residence: New Brighton
    Term of Office: 1/7/2019 to 1/3/2021
    Oath Date: 1/8/2019
    Counties Represented: Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey
    Occupation: Educator
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Special Session Bills Authored:  2020 1st Sp.S. - Chief Author    2020 1st Sp.S. - Author
    2020 2nd Sp.S. - Chief Author    2020 2nd Sp.S. - Author
    2020 4th Sp.S. - Chief Author    2020 4th Sp.S. - Author
    2020 5th Sp.S. - Chief Author    2020 5th Sp.S. - Author
    Committees:
    • Education Policy Minutes
    • Ethics Minutes
    • Ways & Means: Education Finance Division Minutes
    • Ways & Means: Health and Human Services Finance Division Minutes
    Leadership Position: Assistant Majority Leader
    term photo
    Click to view

    90th Legislative Session (2017-2018)

      Session Details   Convened Date: 1/3/2017
    Body: House
    District: 41B
    Elected: 11/8/2016
    Residence: New Brighton
    Term of Office: 1/2/2017 to 1/6/2019
    Oath Date: 1/3/2017
    Counties Represented: Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey
    Occupation: Library Media Specialist
    Party: Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    Bills Authored: Chief Author     Author
    Committees:
    term photo
    Click to view

    OTHER INFORMATION

    News Sources

    The Library maintains newspaper clippings on individual legislators during their terms. Clippings are available from 1973 to the present in a variety of formats: 1973-1999, microfiche available at the Library; 2000-2009, scanned in yearly compilations and digitally available on the legislative network; 2009-present, archived in a searchable database maintained by the Library and available on the legislative network.
    These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.

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