November 19, 2025
Elections Matter - Transitions Do Too
On November 4, St. Paul residents went to the polls in droves and elected our first Hmong and first woman Mayor. The robust turnout and the outcome were inspiring - and the simple act of voting has never been more important. At a moment when so many of the basic elements of our democracy seem more tenuous than we’d have ever believed, the fact that each and every one of us can alter power dynamics overnight and change the course of history with a humble ballpoint pen is nothing short of miraculous.
I’m thrilled to be welcoming Mayor-elect Her into office. The Mayor-elect campaigned on a promise to be more collaborative - with the private and philanthropic sectors and with partners at all levels of government - and she’s already living up to that pledge, reaching out within days of her election to schedule time to meet one-on-one with me and each of my colleagues. That sort of across-the-hallway outreach is critical to a healthy local democracy. Even when we disagree - and we will - being able to communicate before, during and after conflict means better decision-making and better outcomes for St. Paul.
I’m also grateful to Mayor Carter for his steadfast leadership of our city through incredibly challenging times. Mayor Carter has led with principle and vision, and his confidence and optimism have helped our city weather a global pandemic, a racial reckoning and the real estate shocks and public safety challenges that have rattled downtown. Even when we disagreed, I knew the Mayor was always doing what he felt was right for St. Paul and I’m grateful to have gotten to work together these last eight years.
The next few months will be a time of transition and uncertainty at City Hall. The Mayor-elect has the power to appoint new directors of every department except police, fire and Human Rights (those positions are on six-year terms, purposely structured so as to be independent of and unaffected by political cycles). This means that many of my colleagues who helm our departments from public works to parks, libraries to technology, will need to keep doing their important work while not knowing how long they will be keeping their jobs. This uncertainty naturally trickles down to all city staff who are now wondering whom they’ll work for come January. And for all of us, there are questions about what the new mayor will prioritize and how that will affect our work.
My goals during this time of transition are to provide a sense of consistency for city staff, to make sure our shared work continues through the mayoral transition and to help the new administration prepare to take the helm in 2026. The Council is reaching out to assure our department colleagues that we are here for them and that we are committed to keeping our shared work going during and through the mayoral transition. We are meeting with Mayor-elect Her to share our plans for the 2026 budget and to give our feedback on how her administration can work most effectively with the Council. We are documenting the work that is taking place on priority projects so it can seamlessly transition to new staff if necessary.
And through all this, we are continuing to do the work we’ve been elected to do. Because ultimately, what elections show us is that the politicians are not the constant - the people are - and the opportunity and responsibility to serve the city we love is unending.