Kaohly Her pulls off upset in St. Paul mayor's race
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State Rep. Kaohly Her (right) celebrated her victory in the St. Paul mayor's race early Wednesday morning. Photo: Kyle Stokes/Axios
State Rep. Kaohly Her pulled off a stunning upset in the St. Paul mayor's race, ousting her former boss — two-term incumbent Melvin Carter — just three months after launching her challenge.
Why it matters: The 52-year-old Her, a Laos-born child of refugees, will be the first woman and first Hmong American to serve as mayor of St. Paul.
By the numbers: In St. Paul's ranked-choice election system, Carter received the most first-choice votes, but Her overtook Carter after votes from lower-finishing candidates were reallocated.
- Her received 47.8% of the vote to Carter's 45%.
What they're saying: "Nobody believed in us. No one had the political courage to stand up ... because they were afraid of not being able to win," Her told Axios early Wednesday.
The big picture: Her's late entry into the race offered a high-profile alternative to St. Paul voters fed up with lagging development, a limping downtown and rising property taxes.
- Her argued Carter's administration itself was mired in the same malaise, growing disengaged from constituents, businesses and the state Legislature.
- The result raises questions about what comes next for Carter, the city's first African American mayor, who was widely viewed as a future contender for higher office.
Plus: Her also defeated well-funded biophysicist Yan Chen, small business owner Mike Hilborn and engineer Adam Dullinger.
Zoom in: "My big thing is actually being able to do the nuts and bolts of our city well and being a responsive government," Her argued in an Oct. 15 debate.
- "Behind closed doors," she added, "people are not saying what is really happening — because they are saying that our city is not doing well … City Hall is not responsive."
The other side: Carter argued his administration had been deeply involved in responding to the city's challenges.
- He shepherded a sales tax increase that will fund $1 billion in public works projects, oversaw the launch of several major redevelopment projects and rolled out a new online portal to streamline permitting.
The intrigue: Leadership is turning over at St. Paul City Hall: All but two of the seven City Council members have been in their roles for less than two years.
- Carter, who was St. Paul's first African American mayor, served on the City Council from 2008 to 2013, stepped down to work for the state, then returned after winning the 2017 mayoral election.
Follow the money: Her raised $154,000 in just under three months, effectively erasing Carter's campaign finance advantage. The two candidates entered the campaign's final weeks with equivalent war chests.
Catch up quick: Her's family fled Laos in 1976, when she was 4, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, eventually settling in Wisconsin and becoming naturalized citizens.
- Her arrived in St. Paul after graduating from college in 1995. She worked in finance for 15 years before taking a series of civic-oriented roles, including with the St. Paul Public Schools.
In 2018, Her joined Carter's administration as his policy director, working on some of his early policy projects, including a $15 minimum wage and the creation of college savings accounts for St. Paul-born children.
- Later that year, Her won a seat representing neighborhoods along St. Paul's Summit Avenue in the Minnesota House — but served in City Hall for another year-and-a-half before stepping down.
What's next: Her will serve a three-year term due to a recent change in the city charter, which moves elections to even-numbered years.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to update the photo and add a quote from Kaohly Her.