St. Paul residents went to the polls Tuesday to choose between re-electing St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter to a third term in office or elevating one of four challengers to the role.
Among those challengers, the ranked-choice election included state Rep. Kaohly Her, who entered the mayor’s race in August with a strong following but a short lead time to make her case for overhauling leadership at City Hall.
Results expected tonight
Results are expected Tuesday night, thanks to new open-source software acquired by St. Paul for the purpose of digitally reallocating ballots in instant run-off elections.
Ramsey County Elections planned to publish unofficial vote totals and other electronic data as quickly as possible instead of waiting two days before a hand count, which had been the tradition in city council races where no candidate broke 50% of the vote on the first ballot.
Ballot questions
Voters also found two questions on their ballot.
One related to a 10-year St. Paul School District levy and the other asked whether to amend the city charter to allow for administrative citations, or civil fines for ordinance violations.
St. Paul mayor’s race
Carter has said his progressive record — which ranges from forgiving library fines and making youth sports free at rec centers to creating college savings accounts for all of the city’s newborns — has never faltered despite riots, pandemic and heavy pushback from the Trump administration, and he asked voters for three more years to continue that agenda.
Her, who once served as Carter’s policy director, has criticized the mayor for what she describes as a lack of general responsiveness to voters and prospective business owners. In light of the city’s fiscal challenges, she called into question whether the city should re-evaluate or hold off on several of the mayor’s Parks and Rec priorities, from a protected bikeway along Summit Avenue to a promenade overlooking the Mississippi River along Kellogg Boulevard.
Some voters have noted that on key issues — like the special school district levy and administrative citations — Carter and Her are well aligned as “yes” votes, and Her has worked closely on several of the mayor’s top priorities, including a citywide $15 minimum wage and college savings accounts for newborns.
Three other challengers are less politically experienced but have become increasingly visible over the course of the election season. Yan Chen, a University of Minnesota biophysicist, and Mike Hilborn, who owns a power washing company, have both criticized the mayor’s record on property taxes and spending, and Adam Dullinger, a licensed professional engineer, has presented himself as the race’s strongest proponent for bikeways and public transportation.
Support for candidates
While the mayor has lined up support from a majority of the city council, labor unions and progressive advocacy groups active in St. Paul elections like SEIU and Faith in Minnesota, Her has drawn the support of St. Paul Firefighters Local 21 and Teamsters Joint Council 32.
Some groups, like the St. Paul Area Chamber, have chosen to stay out of the race, with the chamber calling business growth stagnant both downtown and citywide. The St. Paul DFL, which is reconstituting itself, has not endorsed a candidate.
The winner of the five-way race will serve three years, instead of four, as a result of the city’s switch to even-year elections in 2028.
Other races
Meanwhile, there are other municipal and school board races on the ballot Tuesday in the east metro including a mayoral race in White Bear Lake. And, there are school levies on the ballot in a number of districts in Ramsey, Washington and Dakota counties.
For information on how to vote, on candidates and ballot questions go to twincities.com/2025/10/16/election-guide-dakota-ramsey-washington-races-ballot-questions/
Results from the races will be posted to twincities.com as returns come in Tuesday evening.
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