Having served as a State Representative from 2017 to 2020, Mary Kunesh was elected to the MN Senate in 2020, representing District 39, communities of the first ring suburbs of Minneapolis/St. Paul. As an educator, Mary retired from her role as a library media specialist after 25 years’ service.
Mary is the daughter and granddaughter of members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and is committed to supporting positive legislation for protecting our environment in the land of 10,000 lakes. Senator Kunesh has served as an Assistant Majority Leader for the DFL Caucus in the House of Representatives and is a founding member of the first MN Native American Legislative Caucus and the POCI (People of Color, Indigenous) Caucus in the Minnesota legislature. She is currently the first woman of Native heritage to be elected to the MN Senate and serves as the first Native Senate Assistant Minority Leader.