Who will challenge Melvin Carter for St. Paul mayor?

Mayor Melvin Carter is facing multiple challengers for mayor as he seeks his third term, including state Rep. Kaohly Vang Her, a St. Paul DFLer who worked for Carter during his first term.

Carter is seeking a third term amid rising concern about St. Paul’s property taxes, a downtown that has yet to really recover from the pandemic and worries about the cost of living in the capital city.

The St. Paul DFL is not endorsing a candidate in the 2025 election. The local party unit is working to rebuild and shift its endorsing caucuses to even-year city elections, with St. Paul moving city elections to presidential years starting in 2028.

Because of the shift, the mayor elected in November will only serve a three-year term. Here are the candidates who filed to run before this week’s deadline.

Carter is the incumbent mayor, seeking his third term. First elected in 2017 with the backing of outgoing Mayor Chris Coleman, Carter’s first term saw an expansive vision of city government that included starting college savings accounts for newborns, piloting a guaranteed income program, and forgiving residents’ medical debt.

As downtown St. Paul has struggled to recover from the pandemic, he has begun promoting office-to-residential conversions, and has become an opponent of rent control despite supporting the ballot initiative in 2021.

Yan Chen is a DFLer who unsuccessfully sought election to the City Council in Ward 1 in 2021.

Dullinger is a mechanical engineer and political newcomer. He wants St. Paul to find ways to build more housing, whether that means working with developers or building public housing, and wants to see better bicycle infrastructure. Dullinger is also interested in grocery access, and supports zoning changes to allow small markets in residential neighborhoods, and wants to explore municipal grocery stores.

Dullinger spoke at the City Council earlier this year against weakening rent control by permanently exempting buildings build after 2004.

Her is a four-term state representative who has advocated in the House for tenant protections and pension reform, and opposes rent control. She worked for Carter during his first term, and also worked for the St. Paul school district after more than a decade in the private sector.

She wants residents and businesses to have an easier time working with City Hall, and is advancing a platform of improving basic city services.

Hilborn is the lone Republican in the race and faces an uphill battle in a staunchly progressive city. His platform is focused on lowering property taxes and increasing funding for the police department.