Molly Kelly is an American politician in New Hampshire. A member of the Democratic Party, she served in the

New Hampshire Senate The New Hampshire Senate has been meeting since 1784. It is the upper house of the New Hampshire General Court, alongside the lower New Hampshire House of Representatives. It consists of 24 members representing Senate districts based on populatio ...

, representing the 10th District from 2006 until 2016. She was the Democratic nominee for

Governor of New Hampshire The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of New Hampshire. The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Verm ...

in the 2018 election.

Early life and education

Kelly was raised in

Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...

as one of 11 children. She later moved to Massachusetts, married and had three children, and then moved to

Keene, New Hampshire Keene is a city in, and the seat of Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 23,047 at the 2020 census, down from 23,409 at the 2010 census. Keene is home to Keene State College and Antioch University New England. I ...

, where she raised her children as a single mother and became a Keene State College student. While a student, she became the manager of the apartment complex where she resided with her children. Kelly completed her bachelor's degree from

Keene State College Keene State College is a public liberal arts college in Keene, New Hampshire. It is part of the University System of New Hampshire and the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Founded in 1909 as a teacher's college (originally, Keene Norm ...

and a J.D. degree from the

Franklin Pierce Law Center The University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law is a public law school in Concord, New Hampshire, associated with the University of New Hampshire. It is the only law school in the state and was founded in 1973 by Robert H. Rines as ...

State Senate

Kelly was first elected to represent District 10 in the

in 2006 and was re-elected for five terms until she decided to not seek reelection in 2016. During her tenure, she was the chair of Governor's Advanced Manufacturing Education Advisory Council for eight years, served on the Education, Public & Municipal Affairs and Capital Budget committees, and was the vice chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. She also served on the Governor's Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment. Her district comprised Alstead, Chesterfield, Gilsum, Harrisville, Hinsdale, Keene, Marlborough, Nelson, Roxbury, Sullivan, Surry, Swanzey, Walpole, Westmoreland, and Winchester in Cheshire County.

Campaign for Governor

Kelly ran for

in the 2018 election. She won the Democratic nomination after defeating

Steve Marchand Steve Marchand (born January 10, 1974) is an American politician. He served as the mayor of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, from 2006 to 2008. He is the principal of SRM Consulting, a public affairs and strategic communications firm. Prior to that, he ...

in the primary, 66 percent to 34 percent, and then lost the general election to incumbent Republican

Chris Sununu Christopher Thomas Sununu ( ; born November 5, 1974) is an American politician and engineer who has served as the 82nd governor of New Hampshire since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Sununu was a member of the New Hampshire Executive Coun ...

, 53 percent to 46 percent. Her campaign included a focus on education, health care, access to safe and legal abortion, renewable energy, protection of vulnerable children, and opposition to a sales and income tax. Kelly was endorsed by Planned Parenthood, NEA-New Hampshire, AFT-New Hampshire, U.S. Senator

Jeanne Shaheen Cynthia Jeanne Shaheen ( ; née Bowers, born January 28, 1947) is an American retired educator and politician serving as the senior United States senator from New Hampshire since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, Shaheen served as the 78 ...

, U.S. Senator

Maggie Hassan Margaret Coldwell Hassan (; née Wood; born February 27, 1958) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States senator from New Hampshire. A Democrat, Hassan was elected to the Senate in 2016 while serving as the 81st ...

, Congresswoman

Annie Kuster Ann L. McLane Kuster (born September 5, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously worked as a lobbyist. Early life and education Kuster was b ...

, EMILY’s List, and gun violence prevention activist Deb Howard. Kelly was also endorsed by the ''Keene Sentinel'' editorial board, the most progressive editorial board in New Hampshire, citing "Kelly’s experience in how to get things done in Concord" and her "record of achievement." "Her record shows her to be a planner and to have the ability to gather support and follow through."

Professional career

In addition to her career in the New Hampshire Senate, Kelly started and ran a small business as a retirement financial advisor, served as the director of Hospice of the Monadnock Region and was the director of the Franklin Pierce University Continuing Education program at its Keene campus. She has also facilitated forums for the Center for Civic Engagement addressing challenges facing the community. Kelly has served on the following boards and commissions: Cedarcrest Center for Children with Disabilities, Advisory Council; Southwest Community Services; Business and Education Coalition; New Hampshire Scholars (Chair 2014 -2016); New England Secondary School Consortium; Social Justice Foundation; Keene State College Civic Leadership Initiative; Education Commission of the States; NH Commission on the Status of Woman (Chair); Healthy New Hampshire Foundation (Treasurer); Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce; Keene Downtown Revitalization Corporation; International Rotary; and the Home Care Association of New Hampshire.

Personal life

Kelly is married to Art Luptowski and they moved to Harrisville, New Hampshire in 2016.

References

External links

State Senate page2006 campaign contributionsNew Hampshire Senate Democratic Caucus – Molly Kelly
profile {{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Molly 1949 births Keene State College alumni Living people Democratic Party New Hampshire state senators Politicians from Fort Wayne, Indiana Purdue University alumni University of New Hampshire School of Law alumni Women state legislators in New Hampshire Candidates in the 2018 United States elections 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians