Mayor Kaohly Her pledges to ‘always show up’ for St. Paul in inaugural address

Mayor Kaohly Her launched a new era of leadership in St. Paul with an inaugural pledge to fight both national and local challenges, from what she described as a “hostile” federal administration to a billion dollars in city maintenance needs.

And she plans to do that while keeping residents’ concerns at the forefront.

“My commitment to the city is that we will get back to the basics of running our government right,” Her said, repeating her election-night pledge to “always show up” to listen to St. Paul.

“Being connected matters. Knowing what’s going on in every corner of the city matters. It’s how I can best fight for you as your mayor.”

The Jan. 2 speech at St. Catherine University, by turns celebratory and warning of challenges ahead, was a historic moment for the first woman and first Asian American to be elected mayor of the capital city. It was also a chance for Her, whose politics largely align with the incumbent she ousted, to outline how she plans to lead by listening and collaborating.

She defeated two-term Mayor Melvin Carter in an upset, built on that outreach to voters and a growing sense of unease in St. Paul about the city’s failure to bounce back after the pandemic — especially in downtown and the Midway.

Her, 52, attributed her electoral success to dozens of meet-and-greets and knocking on 40,000 doors before Election Day. She’s toured the city since then to hear residents’ priorities and ask what they want from their mayor.

On stage, six women who represented political “firsts” in St. Paul flanked Her as she spoke, including Debbie Montgomery, the first Black woman City Council member; Susan Kimberly, the first transgender deputy mayor; and Choua Lee, the former St. Paul school board member who was the first Hmong person elected to public office in the United States.

Her thanked her parents and grandparents, and said their “relentless” pursuit of the American dream inspired her through her life, including during her whirlwind three-month campaign for mayor. Her’s family arrived in the United States as refugees, part of the first wave of Hmong people fleeing Laos after the end of the Vietnam War.

“I strive to honor my ancestors’ legacy in everything I do,” Her said.

Her election comes as Minnesota marks the 50th anniversary of Hmong refugee resettlement in the state, and after decades of growing political power in the community that now numbers nearly 100,000 statewide.

Her said she hoped her election would give license to other women and other immigrants to be ambitious. All seven members of the St. Paul City Council are women.

In her remarks, Her acknowledged that she was elected as voters sensed the city was struggling, but she stressed that reviving St. Paul is just one of the challenges ahead.

Federal funding cuts and aggressive immigration enforcement threaten the city, she said. Her said she wanted to foster closer collaboration between immigrant community organizations and the city to protect residents.

Her also pledged to work with the City Council to approve ordinances that would affect how federal agents could operate in the city, including banning them from wearing face coverings and organizing in city parks.

St. Paul’s finances are also a growing problem, Her said. She stressed that there are bigger challenges to come, including library renovations, needed upgrades to firefighter training facilities and the push to modernize downtown’s Grand Casino Arena — about $1 billion in deferred maintenance.

“You’re already feeling the pinch from that in your property taxes,” Her said.

Stacie Stanley, superintendent of St. Paul schools, said Her’s emphasis on listening to residents was already evident, with a dialogue already open and more meetings on the calendar.

But at the inauguration, Stanley paused to recognize the moment.

“To have a fully woman-led city is pretty incredible,” she said.

At the end of the ceremony, attendees got gift bags containing chocolate chip cookies — Her’s favorite. The package also included a pin with a hummingbird in the center — a symbol of Her’s mentor, the late House Speaker Melissa Hortman — and a border inspired by Her’s grandmother’s embroidered baby carrier.

Her’s supporters swarmed the stage, and she took time to take selfies and give hugs to the family and St. Paulites who cheered as she was introduced as the city’s 56th mayor.