St. Paul mayoral race advances to RCV; first count: Carter ~40%, Her ~38%
After first-round unofficial tallies in the five-way St. Paul mayoral race, incumbent Melvin Carter led with just over 40% to challenger Kaohly Her’s just over 38%, so no candidate reached a majority and ranked‑choice reallocations are next. Ramsey County plans to post RCV results late Tuesday using new open‑source tabulation software (ending prior multi‑day hand counts); early returns briefly showed Her slightly ahead, turnout was heavier than expected, and the ballot also included a 10‑year school levy and a charter amendment on administrative citations.
📌 Key Facts
- First-round unofficial results show incumbent Melvin Carter just over 40% and Kaohly Her just over 38%; no candidate reached a majority, so ranked‑choice (RCV) reallocations are next.
- Ramsey County Elections will post unofficial ranked‑choice results late Tuesday night using new open‑source tabulation software, replacing the prior multi‑day hand count process for reallocations.
- Earlier returns (with 11 of 86 precincts reporting) had Kaohly Her leading Melvin Carter by roughly one percentage point (about 100 votes), indicating shifting results as more ballots are counted.
- Turnout in the St. Paul mayoral election was described by reporting outlets as unexpectedly heavy.
- The municipal ballot also included two ballot questions: a 10‑year St. Paul School District operating levy and a charter amendment to authorize administrative citations (civil fines).
- Endorsement landscape: Carter is backed by a majority of the City Council, SEIU and Faith in Minnesota; Her is endorsed by St. Paul Firefighters Local 21 and Teamsters Joint Council 32; the St. Paul Area Chamber is neutral and the St. Paul DFL has not endorsed.
- The mayoral term for this election is three years (not four) because the city is shifting its elections to even‑numbered years beginning in 2028.
📰 Sources (4)
St. Paul mayoral race needs more counting as no clear winner emerges
New information:
- Reports first-round unofficial results with Carter leading just over 40% and Her just over 38%.
- States no candidate reached a majority and explains that RCV reallocations are next.
Voters await results in St. Paul mayor’s race
New information:
- Early returns: With 11 of 86 precincts reporting, Kaohly Her led Melvin Carter by roughly one percentage point (about 100 votes).
- Turnout described as unexpectedly heavy by the outlet.
- City expects to release ranked-choice results late Tuesday night using new open-source tabulation software rather than multi-day hand counts.
The five-way St. Paul mayor’s race barrels toward a close on Election Day
New information:
- Ramsey County Elections will post unofficial ranked‑choice results Tuesday night using new open‑source software, ending the prior two‑day hand count for reallocations.
- Ballot includes two questions: a 10‑year St. Paul School District operating levy and a charter amendment to authorize administrative citations (civil fines).
- Endorsement landscape: Carter backed by a majority of the City Council, SEIU and Faith in Minnesota; Her endorsed by St. Paul Firefighters Local 21 and Teamsters Joint Council 32; St. Paul Area Chamber staying neutral; St. Paul DFL has not endorsed.
- The mayoral term for this election will be three years (not four) due to the city’s shift to even‑year elections starting in 2028.