Carl Kunasek

Carl Kunasek
Carl Kunasek
	Kunasek in 1974
Chair of the Arizona Corporation Commission
	In office; 1994–2001
Preceded by	Tracey A. Bardorff
Succeeded by	Donald Lindholm
President of the Arizona Senate
	In office; 1987–1989
Preceded by	Stan Turley
Succeeded by	Bob Usdane
Member of the Arizona Senate; from the 21st district
	In office; 1983–1989
Preceded by	Richard Kimball
Succeeded by	Jerry Gillespie
Member of the Arizona House of Representatives; from the 30th district
	In office; 1973–1983 Serving with James J. Sossaman
Preceded by	Stan Turley; Jim L. Cooper
Succeeded by	Mark Killian
Personal details
Born	1932; Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Died	July 20, 2026 (aged 94)
Party	Republican
Children	Andy Kunasek (son); Karrin Taylor Robson (daughter)
Education	Creighton University

Carl James Kunasek (1932 – July 20, 2026) was an American politician who served as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives and the Arizona Senate.^[1] From 1994 to 2001, he was chair of the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Background

Kunasek was born in Nebraska in 1932.^[2]^[3] He graduated from Creighton University.

Kunasek died on July 20, 2026, at the age of 94.^[3]

Kunasek was first elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 1972. He was re-elected in 1974, 1976, 1978 and 1980. He was then a member of the Arizona Senate from 1983 to 1989, serving as president of the Senate from 1987 to 1989.^[4]^[5] He was defeated for re-election in the Republican primary in 1988 by Jerry Gillespie. President George H. W. Bush appointed Kunasek as commissioner of the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation in 1990. In 1994, Kunasek was elected to head the Arizona Corporation Commission and remained in the position until 2001.