Molly Kelly

Molly Kelly
Member of the New Hampshire Senate
from the 10th district
In office
December 6, 2006 – December 7, 2016
Preceded by Thomas R. Eaton
Succeeded by Jay Kahn
Personal details
Born (1949-09-15) September 15, 1949
Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Arthur Luptowski
Education Purdue University
Keene State College (BA)
University of New Hampshire School of Law (JD)

Molly Kelly (born September 15, 1949) is an American politician from Indiana. A member of the Democratic Party, she served in the New Hampshire Senate, representing the 10th District from 2006 until 2016. Kelly is a candidate for Governor of New Hampshire in the 2018 election.[1]

Early life

Kelly grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, as one of 11 children and the oldest girl. Kelly later moved to the Keene area of New Hampshire, where she was a young, single mom who raised three small children while working her way through college.

State Senate

In the State Senate, Kelly served as Chair of the Governor’s Advanced Manufacturing Education Advisory Council, on the New Hampshire Rail Authority and 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.[2]

After announcing that she would leave the New Hampshire Senate at the end of her term, the Keene Sentinel reported that "for almost all of her term as a senator, the need to provide a strong education has been an important priority, for her, and a stated underpinning to the issues she has brought focus to, especially economic growth and sustainability, health and safety, and strengthening the middle class."[3]

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.[4]

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.

Campaign for Governor

Kelly is running for Governor of New Hampshire in the 2018 election.

Education and Job Training

Kelly has emphasized education and says she wants to ensure opportunities for a quality public education are available to all students. As a young, single mom with three small children, she worked her way through Keene State College and then Franklin Pierce Law Center.[5] Kelly vows to veto any plan that takes money from public schools to pay for vouchers for private and religious schools. She also says she'll work to make college more affordable and invest in job training. Kelly says too many young people are leaving New Hampshire, leaving businesses struggling to find workers with the skills they need.

Opioid Epidemic

Regarding the opioid epidemic, Kelly wants to treat it the same as any other health care epidemic and emphasizes the need for a comprehensive system of care from prevention to treatment and recovery.

Women's Reproductive Rights

Kelly believes that every woman, regardless of income, should have access to a safe, legal abortion. Kelly received the endorsement of Planned Parenthood. In a recent op-ed, Kelly wrote: "One of my top priorities as governor, in light of the threat posed by the shifting Supreme Court, would be signing legislation that codifies protections resulting from Roe, stating that “it shall be the public policy of New Hampshire that the state shall not restrict a woman’s exercise of her private decision to terminate a pregnancy.”

No Corporate Contributions

She is refusing to accept corporate campaign contributions and says she'll work to rid elections of dark money, end partisan gerrymandering and appoint qualified commissioners to state agencies.

Gun Safety

In the wake of recent schools shootings, Kelly says she'd enact "common sense gun safety laws."

Energy and the Environment

Kelly wants to make New Hampshire 100 percent reliant on renewable energy and has led past efforts to pass legislation encouraging the development of solar and hydro power.

Protecting NH's Most Vulnerable Children

Kelly has outlined a plan to protect the state's most vulnerable children. She says Sununu failed to follow an audit report that detailed solutions to challenges facing the Division of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF).

Kelly supports passing paid family and medical leave and has criticized Sununu as "out-of-touch with working families" for his belief that the policy amounts to a "vacation."

Revenue

Kelly opposes a sales or income tax.[6] She advocates for repealing more than $100 million worth of corporate tax breaks passed by Sununu and reinvesting that revenue into strengthening public education, making college affordable, and boosting job training programs and protecting vulnerable children under the state's care through the Division of Children, Youth and Families.

Endorsements

Kelly has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood[7], NEA-New Hampshire[8], AFT-New Hampshire, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen,[9] U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan[10], Congresswoman Annie Kuster,[11] EMILY’s List,[12] and gun violence prevention activist Deb Howard.[13]

Kelly was endorsed[14] 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."

Personal life

Molly has one daughter, three sons and seven grandchildren. She lives in Harrisville with her husband, Art Luptowski.

References

  1. ↑ "Home". Molly Kelly. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  2. ↑ "Senate District 10, Senator Molly Kelly". New Hampshire State Senate Homepage. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  3. ↑ Staff, PAUL MILLER Sentinel. "Molly Kelly says she will not seek a sixth term in NH Senate". SentinelSource.com. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  4. ↑ "About". Molly Kelly. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  5. ↑ "About". Molly Kelly. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  6. ↑ "Issues". Molly Kelly. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  7. ↑ "Molly Kelly for NH Governor". www.plannedparenthoodaction.org. Retrieved 2018-09-07.
  8. ↑ "NEA-NH Announces Recommendation of Molly Kelly for Governor". NEA-NH. 2018-06-15. Retrieved 2018-09-07.
  9. ↑ Shaheen endorses Molly Kelly for governor, retrieved 2018-05-05
  10. ↑ DiStaso, John (2018-06-04). "Hassan endorses fellow Democrat Kelly for governor, calls her 'progressive leader'". WMUR. Retrieved 2018-09-07.
  11. ↑ DiStaso, John (2018-04-20). "US Rep. Kuster weighs in on Democratic primary for governor, backs Molly Kelly". WMUR. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  12. ↑ "EMILY's List Endorses Molly Kelly for Governor of New Hampshire". www.emilyslist.org. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  13. ↑ DiStaso, John (2018-04-19). "NH Primary Source: Kelly, Marchand cited for 'distinction' by Moms Demand Action". WMUR. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  14. ↑ Rose, Sarah F. (2017-09-21). "Her Mother Did Not Like to Have Her Learn to Work". University of North Carolina Press. doi:10.5149/northcarolina/9781469624891.003.0002.
Party political offices
Preceded by
Colin Van Ostern		 Democratic nominee for Governor of New Hampshire
2018		 Most recent
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