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Kaohly Her Defeats Melvin Carter to Become St. Paul’s First Woman and Hmong Mayor

A late-entry, door-to-door campaign converted voter frustration over stalled recovery into a ranked-choice win.

Overview

  • Her prevailed after no candidate secured a first-choice majority, winning in ranked-choice tabulation of subsequent preferences.
  • Incumbent Mayor Melvin Carter conceded the race, and Her is set to take office in January 2026 for a three-year term as elections shift to even years.
  • Her campaigned on revitalizing downtown and the Midway, making City Hall more responsive to business, and tackling blight, addiction services, housing and property-tax pressures.
  • The result leaves St. Paul’s government led entirely by women, with Her joining a seven-woman City Council.
  • A Laos-born refugee, former Carter policy aide and state representative, Her entered the race in August with union support and defeated Carter, Yan Chen, Adam Dullinger and Mike Hilborn.