| Mary Kelly Kunesh | |
| State Senate: | Minnesota |
| District: | 39th |
| Term Start: | January 5, 2021 |
| Predecessor: | Carolyn Laine |
| Birth Date: | 20 November 1960 |
| Birth Place: | Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| Party: | Democratic (DFL) |
| Spouse: | Timothy Podein (divorced) |
| Children: | 3 |
| Residence: | New Brighton, Minnesota |
| Alma Mater: | St. Catherine's University St. Cloud State University |
| Occupation: | Politician Library media specialist |
| State House2: | Minnesota |
| District2: | 41B |
| Termstart2: | January 3, 2017 |
| Termend2: | January 5, 2021 |
| Preceded2: | Carolyn Laine |
| Succeeded2: | Sandra Feist |
Mary Kelly Kunesh (; formerly Podein; born November 20, 1960) is an American politician and member of the Minnesota State Senate. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represents District 39, which includes parts of the counties of Ramsey, Hennepin, and Anoka, and the cities of Fridley, Spring Lake Park, Columbia Heights, Hilltop, New Brighton, and St. Anthony.
Kunesh was born in Saint Paul and raised in Sartell, Minnesota.[1] [2] Her grandfather and mother were enrolled citizens of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe,[3] and her father a former St. Cloud City Attorney, and later Assistant Stearns County Attorney. She graduated from Cathedral High School in St. Cloud, Minnesota.[4] She attended St. Catherine University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education in 1995, and later St. Cloud State University, graduating with a Master of Arts in information media in 2010.[5] [6]
Kunesh was a member and chair of the New Brighton Parks, Recreation and Environmental Commission and was a candidate for the New Brighton City Council in 2013. She works as a library media specialist for Robbinsdale Area Schools, including Robbinsdale Middle School.
Kunesh was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2016, succeeding DFL incumbent Carolyn Laine. In 2017, she was one out of four Native American members in the Minnesota Legislature, a descendant of the Standing Rock Lakota tribe.[7] After Laine retired from the Senate in 2020, Kunesh moved her attention from the House to Senate and won the seat.
In 2020, Kunesh was elected into the Minnesota State Senate winning the general election against Lucia Vogel with over 66% of the vote. In 2023 Kunesh was elected Assistant Majority Leader of the state senate.
She is currently serving on the following committees:
Kunesh resides in New Brighton, Minnesota. She has three children.