Kaohly Her defeats Carter for St. Paul mayor
State Rep. Kaohly Her defeated incumbent Mayor Melvin Carter in a stunning upset to become St. Paul's next mayor, making history as the city will, for the first time, have a woman mayor serving with an all‑women City Council. Her is scheduled to be sworn in at 1 p.m. Friday at St. Catherine University (streamed live), will serve a three‑year term as the city shifts mayoral elections to even‑numbered years beginning in 2028, and has said she will focus on cross‑government and cross‑sector collaboration as Carter posted a social‑media reflection on his time in office.
đź“Ś Key Facts
- Kaohly Her will be sworn in as St. Paul's next mayor at a public inauguration ceremony scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday at St. Catherine University; the ceremony will be streamed live.
- Her will serve a three-year mayoral term (not four) because St. Paul is moving its mayoral elections to even-numbered years beginning in 2028.
- For the first time, St. Paul will have an all‑women City Council serving together with a woman mayor.
- Her's new public comments emphasize a governing style built on cross‑government and cross‑sector collaboration to tackle city challenges.
- Outgoing Mayor Melvin Carter posted a social‑media message Friday morning reflecting on his accomplishments as he leaves office.
đź“Š Relevant Data
The Asian population in St. Paul, Minnesota, constitutes 17.93% of the total population as of 2025.
St. Paul, Minnesota Population 2025 — World Population Review
Minnesota has the second-largest Hmong population in the United States, with over 66,000 individuals as of 2015, most living in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
Hmong and Hmong Americans in Minnesota | MNopedia — Minnesota Historical Society
The Hmong population in the United States grew by 89% from 175,000 in 2000 to roughly 330,000 in 2023.
Hmong | Data on Asian Americans — Pew Research Center
Hmong refugees began arriving in Minnesota in late 1975 following the communist seizure of power in Indochina, as they had allied with the United States during the Vietnam War and faced persecution afterward.
Hmong and Hmong Americans in Minnesota — MinnPost
One quarter of the Hmong population in Minnesota lives below the poverty line.
Hmong and Hmong Americans in Minnesota — MinnPost
Immigrant households in the Twin Cities, including those from Hmong communities, face housing affordability issues, with almost 40% paying more than 30% of their income on housing.
New Report: Housing Issues for Immigrant Communities in Twin Cities — Minnesota Housing Partnership
The Hmong population in Minnesota has shown progress in education and income from 2000 to 2021, with increasing high school graduation rates and median household incomes.
The Hmong in Minnesota 2000-21: Progress and Opportunities — Empowering Strategies
In Ramsey County--St. Paul City (East) PUMA, MN, Asians make up 33.6% of the population, the largest ethnic group.
Ramsey County--St. Paul City (East) PUMA, MN | Data USA — Data USA
đź“° Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Her’s public inauguration ceremony is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday at St. Catherine University and will be streamed live.
- The article emphasizes that St. Paul will, for the first time, have both an all‑women City Council and a woman mayor serving together.
- Confirms Her will serve a three‑year term (rather than four) because St. Paul will move its mayoral election to even‑numbered years starting in 2028.
- Includes new forward‑looking quotes from Her about governing style, stressing cross‑government, cross‑sector collaboration to address city challenges.
- Notes outgoing Mayor Melvin Carter posted a social‑media message Friday morning reflecting on his accomplishments as he leaves office.