Mary Kunesh-Podein
2023 - Present
2027
2
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Mary Kunesh-Podein (Democratic Party) is a member of the Minnesota State Senate, representing District 39. She assumed office on January 3, 2023. Her current term ends on January 5, 2027.
Kunesh-Podein (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Minnesota State Senate to represent District 39. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Biography
Mary Kunesh-Podein lives in New Brighton, Minnesota.[1] Kunesh-Podein graduated from Cathedral High School.[2] She earned a B.A. in elementary education from St. Catherine's University at St. Paul in 1995 and an M.S. in information media from St. Cloud State University in 2010.[1][2] Kunesh-Podein's career experience includes working as a library media specialist for Robbinsdale Area Schools and as an educator.[1][2] She oversaw the New Brighton Parks, Recreation, and Environmental Commission.[2]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at:[email protected].
2023-2024
Kunesh-Podein was assigned to the following committees:
- Agriculture and Rural Development Finance and Policy Committee
- Education Finance and Policy Committee, Chair
- Education Finance and Policy Committee
- Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance Committee
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2021-2022
Kunesh-Podein was assigned to the following committees:
- Education Finance and Policy Committee
- Mining and Forestry Policy Committee, Ranking Minority Member
- Senate Redistricting Committee
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2019-2020
Kunesh-Podein was assigned to the following committees:
- Education Finance Committee, Vice Chair
- Ethics Committee
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2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Minnesota committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Agriculture Policy |
| • Education Innovation |
| • State Government |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2022
See also: Minnesota State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Minnesota State Senate District 39
Incumbent Mary Kunesh-Podein defeated Pam Wolf in the general election for Minnesota State Senate District 39 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mary Kunesh-Podein (D) | 66.5 | 20,563 |
 | Pam Wolf (R) | 33.4 | 10,327 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 35 | ||
| Total votes: 30,925 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Mary Kunesh-Podein advanced from the Democratic primary for Minnesota State Senate District 39.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Pam Wolf advanced from the Republican primary for Minnesota State Senate District 39.
Campaign finance
2020
See also: Minnesota State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Minnesota State Senate District 41
Mary Kunesh-Podein defeated Lucia Vogel in the general election for Minnesota State Senate District 41 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Kunesh-Podein (D) | 66.8 | 29,967 |
 | Lucia Vogel (R) | 33.0 | 14,791 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 72 | ||
| Total votes: 44,830 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Mary Kunesh-Podein advanced from the Democratic primary for Minnesota State Senate District 41.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Ross Meisner (D)
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Lucia Vogel advanced from the Republican primary for Minnesota State Senate District 41.
Campaign finance
2018
General election
General election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 41B
Incumbent Mary Kunesh-Podein defeated Timothy Utz in the general election for Minnesota House of Representatives District 41B on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Kunesh-Podein (D) | 65.8 | 12,408 |
 | Timothy Utz (Independent) | 33.9 | 6,397 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 62 | ||
| Total votes: 18,867 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Minnesota House of Representatives District 41B
Incumbent Mary Kunesh-Podein defeated Jeffrey Alan Wagner in the Democratic primary for Minnesota House of Representatives District 41B on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Kunesh-Podein | 85.8 | 4,718 |
| Jeffrey Alan Wagner | 14.2 | 782 | ||
| Total votes: 5,500 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Elections for the Minnesota House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 9, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was May 31, 2016. Incumbent Carolyn Laine (D) did not seek re-election.
Mary Kunesh-Podein defeated Camden Pike in the Minnesota House of Representatives District 41B general election.[3][4]
| Minnesota House of Representatives, District 41B General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Mary Kunesh-Podein |
63.41% | 12,936 | |
| Republican | Camden Pike | 36.59% | 7,465 | |
| Total Votes | 20,401 | |||
| Source: Minnesota Secretary of State | ||||
Mary Kunesh-Podein ran unopposed in the Minnesota House of Representatives District 41B Democratic primary.[5][6]
| Minnesota House of Representatives, District 41B Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Mary Kunesh-Podein (unopposed) | |
Camden Pike ran unopposed in the Minnesota House of Representatives District 41B Republican primary.[5][6]
| Minnesota House of Representatives, District 41B Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Camden Pike (unopposed) | |
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Mary Kunesh-Podein did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Mary Kunesh-Podein did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Minnesota scorecards, email suggestions to [email protected].
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
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In 2024, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from February 12 to May 20.
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from January 3 to May 22.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from January 31 to May 23.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from January 5 to May 17.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from February 11 to May 17. Special sessions were convened: June 12 to June 19; July 13 to July 21; August 12; September 11; October 12 to October 15; and November 12.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from January 8 through May 20.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from February 20 through May 21.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from January 3 through May 22. The legislature held a special session from May 23 to May 26.
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Personal life
Kunesh-Podein is married and has three adult children. She is a fraternal twin.[7]
See also
2022 Elections
External links
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Candidate Minnesota State Senate District 39 |
Officeholder Minnesota State Senate District 39 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, "Kunesh, Mary," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Information submitted to Ballotpedia by this candidate's campaign on August 11, 2016.
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Filing Search," accessed August 25, 2016
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "General election results, 2016," accessed December 19, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings," accessed June 3, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Minnesota State Primary: Tuesday, August 9, 2016," accessed August 9, 2016
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Karin Housley (R) |
Minnesota State Senate District 39 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by Carolyn Laine (D) |
Minnesota State Senate District 41 2021-2023 |
Succeeded by Judy Seeberger (D) |
| Preceded by - |
Minnesota House of Representatives District 41B 2017-2021 |
Succeeded by Sandra Feist (D) |
