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. After announcing that she would leave the New Hampshire Senate at the end of her term, the Keene Sentinel 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."
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 ; 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 ; Healthy New Hampshire Foundation ; Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce; Keene Downtown Revitalization Corporation; International Rotary; and the Home Care Association of New Hampshire.
Campaign for Governor
Kelly ran for Governor of New Hampshire in the 2018 election.
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. 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 , 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.
Energy and the Environment
Kelly wants to make New Hampshire 100 percent reliant on and has led past efforts to pass legislation encouraging the development of solar and hydro power.
Protecting NH's Most Vulnerable Children
Kelly has 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.
Revenue
Kelly opposes a sales or income tax. 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, NEA-New Hampshire, AFT-New Hampshire, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan, Congresswoman Annie Kuster, EMILY’s List, and gun violence prevention activist Deb Howard. Kelly was 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."
Personal life
Molly has one daughter, three sons and seven grandchildren. She lives in Harrisville with her husband, Art Luptowski.
