Minnesota state Rep. Kaohly Her projected to win St. Paul mayoral race
Minnesota state Rep. Kaohly Her is projected to win the St. Paul mayoral election, unseating two-term incumbent Melvin Carter.
No St. Paul mayoral candidate garnered enough votes to prevent second-choice votes from being a deciding factor in the race. Earlier Tuesday night, Carter held only a two-point lead over Her.
In second-choice votes, Her received a higher percentage than Carter from every eliminated candidate, including write-ins. Notably, Her got 53% of Yan Chen's second-choice votes (3,511) compared to 23% received by Carter (1,488).
Overall, Her received 47.76% of the vote during the second-round count of the ballots compared to Carter's 45%, according to the Ramsey County election results. The results are unofficial.
The Ramsey County Canvassing Board is expected to meet on Wednesday afternoon to certify the results of the municipal and school district elections.
Her will be the first woman and Asian American to serve as mayor of St. Paul.
"Here is my commitment to you: as your mayor, I will always show up," Her said in a statement. "We are a large city, but a small community. Being involved matters. How we run our government matters. How we show up for people – in every corner of our city – matters."
Her has represented St. Paul in the Minnesota House since 2019. She's worked as a policy director for Carter for nearly four years. She was born in Laos before coming to the U.S. as a refugee when she was 3 years old.
Voters in St. Paul headed to the polls on Tuesday in the election to decide who they want as the city's mayor, whether to support a city measure regarding administrative citations and on a school referendum. After polls closed at 8 p.m., WCCO News began providing live results online from every race in the state, including dozens of school referendums.
Live election results for the St. Paul mayoral race
Five candidates were running to be mayor of St. Paul: Her, Carter, Chen, Adam Dullinger and Mike Hilborn.
St. Paul, like most major urban areas, faces difficulties revitalizing its downtown and other neighborhoods in the post-pandemic era.
Here are the current results for the St. Paul mayoral race.
What platforms are the St. Paul mayoral candidates running on?
Carter was vying for a third term at the position. He was elected as the city's 46th mayor in 2017, becoming the first Black man to hold the position. He successfully ran for reelection in 2021. He played a key role in pushing Gov. Tim Walz to call back state workers to in-person work for at least half of their workweek. That has brought thousands of workers back to downtown St. Paul.
Chen is a scientist and business owner who immigrated to America at 19, according to her campaign website. Chen's top priorities include public safety, community governance, housing and economic development, and integrating people experiencing homelessness back into the community. She previously ran for a seat on the St. Paul City Council.
Dullinger, according to his campaign website, was born and raised in Minnesota and has been a St. Paul resident for six years. He says organized labor, including unions, can benefit the "entire labor market," and that the city needs a mayor "who truly cares and continues to promote unions."
Dullinger is also focused on public housing, bicycle infrastructure and finding ways to reduce spending.
Her says the city needs safe communities, a vibrant economy, affordable and abundant housing and to defend residents against Trump administration policies that she says are "cruel and arbitrary."
Hilborn is a lifelong resident of St. Paul and the founder of a restoration business. His mission is to bring "good that elevates everyone," according to his campaign website. Hilborn wants to lower taxes, hold criminals accountable, support police by "providing them the tools they need," expand homeless shelters and revitalize the downtown area.
Administrative citation measure
St. Paul residents voted on a measure regarding administrative citations, also known as civil penalties. Unlike most cities in the state, St. Paul can only use criminal penalties to enforce ordinances.
The measure is projected to pass 68% to 32% with 100% of the votes counted. This means the City Charter will be amended so that administrative citations can be issued for people who violate city ordinances.
After the administrative citation measure passed, the Vote Yes for a Fairer St. Paul coalition released the following statement:
"We are excited Saint Paul voters decided together to overwhelmingly pass administrative citations for our city. This marks an important shift toward more responsive and equitable enforcement of Saint Paul ordinances. Until now, Saint Paul has lagged behind most other Minnesota cities' ability to issue civil fines to enforce city ordinances. We are incredibly proud of the work on this ballot question and thankful voters agree that it's time to make our city a fairer place for everyone across race, income, and background."
Supporters say criminal penalties are too harsh for small infractions and often let wealthier offenders delay the criminal process. Former St. Paul City Councilmember Jane Prince said the city could abuse the power to fine without limit, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
School referendum
St. Paul Public Schools sought an increase in its operating levy to $1,073 per student. The district says the referendum would generate around $37 million per year in additional revenue.
The measure is projected to pass, with 65% voting in favor.
The district created a tax calculator that residents can use to see how the referendum would impact them. According to an example officials shared, the estimated additional property tax for a $289,200 home would be around $26 per month or $309 per year.