Kunesh, Mary K.
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
Spouse:
Tim
Children:
Three children: Elianne, Louisa, Elie
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.
Body:
Senate
District:
39
Elected:
11/5/2024
Residence:
New Brighton
Term of Office:
1/2/2023 to 1/3/2027
Counties Represented:
Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey
Occupation:
Library media specialist/legislator
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development
-
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
Body:
Senate
District:
39
Elected:
11/8/2022
Residence:
New Brighton
Term of Office:
1/2/2023 to 1/3/2027
Counties Represented:
Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey
Occupation:
Library media specialist/legislator
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
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
Body:
Senate
District:
41
Elected:
11/3/2020
Residence:
New Brighton
Term of Office:
1/4/2021 to 1/1/2023
Counties Represented:
Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey
Occupation:
Library media specialist/legislator
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Committees:
-
Education Finance and Policy
-
Mining and Forestry Policy
-
Redistricting
Leadership Position:
Assistant Minority Leader
Body:
House
District:
41B
Elected:
11/6/2018
Residence:
New Brighton
Term of Office:
1/7/2019 to 1/3/2021
Counties Represented:
Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey
Occupation:
Educator
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
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
Body:
House
District:
41B
Elected:
11/8/2016
Residence:
New Brighton
Term of Office:
1/2/2017 to 1/6/2019
Counties Represented:
Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey
Occupation:
Library Media Specialist
Party:
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.
Video
Photographs
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.
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