St. Paul residents went to the polls in unexpectedly heavy numbers 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.

Early returns showed Carter and Her virtually neck-and-neck, with just 11 of 86 precincts reporting and Her ahead by little more than a percentage point, or 100 votes.

While hand counts — St. Paul’s traditional method of determining the winner in an instant run-off election — can take days, results in the mayor’s race were expected late Tuesday night, thanks to new open-source software acquired by the capital city for the purpose of digitally reallocating ballots.

Carter and Her

Carter had 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 — had 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, had criticized the mayor for what she described 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.

“I’d like to see change,” said Ben McMahon, a Her supporter who voted at the Hillcrest Rec Center on Ford Parkway in Highland Park. “I went to the debate a few weeks ago, and they were hung up on the Summit Avenue bike lanes. There’s a lot more going on in the city than the bike lanes. Look at downtown — 40% of the office buildings are empty.”

Some voters have noted that on key issues, Carter and Her were well aligned. Both said they were “yes” votes on two ballot questions — a special school district levy and charter amendment — 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.

Audra Grigus, 26, said she would rank Carter first and Her second. Both candidates had similar platforms, she said, but Carter had done a good job overall of running the city over his two terms. She thought the challenge from Her would make the mayor better at his job over the next three years if he wins.

“This election cycle has pushed Carter,” she said.

Three other challengers were less politically experienced but had 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, both criticized the mayor’s record on property taxes and spending, and Adam Dullinger, a licensed professional engineer, had presented himself as the race’s strongest proponent for bikeways and public transportation.

Support for candidates

While the mayor 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 drew the support of St. Paul Firefighters Local 21 and Teamsters Joint Council 32.

Some groups, like the St. Paul Area Chamber, had 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, did not endorse a candidate.

The newly-elected mayor will serve three years, instead of four, as a result of the city’s switch to even-year elections in 2028.

St. Paul voters also found two questions on their ballot. The St. Paul School District sought a special 10-year levy equivalent to more than $1,000 per student, adjusted annually for inflation, and another ballot question asked whether to amend the city charter to allow for administrative citations, or civil fines for ordinance violations.

Higher-than-anticipated voter turnout caught some chief elections judges pleasantly off guard. Jeff Maas, head judge for Ward 3, Precinct 4 at the Hillcrest Rec Center on Ford Parkway, said the mayor’s race and the school levy question drew more voters than he had predicted to the polls.

Related Articles

The five-way St. Paul mayor’s race barrels toward a close on Election Day

Election Day is here. Here’s what you need to know.

St. Paul’s mayoral race to be decided by ranked-choice vote — on Election Night

Ramsey County elections: Races for mayor, city councils, school boards

Lefko, Young: We love St. Paul, and we worry about St. Paul

“We’ve had lines and we’ve had to snake lines,” said Maas, who oversaw a team of eight full-day volunteers, during a late afternoon lull. “I wish I had one more judge.”

About 59,000 voters — or 34% of the city’s 169,950 registered voters — cast ballots in 2021, when Carter handily won re-election in the eight way mayor’s race but a ballot question around rent control faced a less certain path to victory. Nearly 62,000 voters cast ballots in the 10-way mayor’s race in 2017, which reached nearly 40% voter turnout and elevated Carter, the city’s first Black mayor, into office.

St. Paul voters on Tuesday went to the polls to decide on a school levy referendum that if approved would mean an increase in property taxes in order to provide additional funding to St. Paul Public Schools for the next ten years.

Early Tuesday night results were not in.

St. Paul voters voted yes or no on an increase to the district’s general revenue by $1,073 per pupil for 10 years, beginning with taxes payable in 2026. The 10-year tax is subject to increase with inflation.

The ballot language reads:

“The board of Independent School District No. 625 (Saint Paul), Minnesota has proposed to increase the School District’s general education revenue by $1,073 per pupil, subject to an annual increase at the rate of inflation. The proposed new referendum revenue authorization would be first levied in 2025 for taxes payable in 2026 and applicable for ten (10) years unless otherwise revoked or reduced as provided by law.”

Voters approved a similar levy in 2018 which gave the district $1,180 per student, or $18.6 million per year plus inflation, in new revenue for 10 years.

The levy referendum on the ballot Tuesday would not revoke and replace the 2018 approved levy, which currently provides $1,167 per student, but will add onto it, according to Tom Sager, the district’s executive chief of financial services. Under state law, the school board could then choose to approve a one-time renewal of the 2018 levy as it’s set to expire without needing to bring it ahead of voters.

While the average St. Paul homeowners with a median-value home would see a $309 per year, or $26 per month, increase in their property taxes if the levy is approved, property owners won’t know the total changes to their property taxes for next year until city, county and school district levies are finalized in December.

How much to expect with city, county and school levies?

If the proposed city, county and school district levies are approved, including the special school district referendum, homeowners in St. Anthony Park, Battle Creek, Sunray, Highwood and downtown St. Paul would see their property taxes go up the least of any neighborhoods in the city, percentage-wise, while still seeing hikes of several hundred dollars.

Related Articles

Hamline University, Manitou Fund send St. Paul teachers into the woods to write lesson plans

St. Paul: What you need to know about the school levy question

St. Paul Public Schools using taxpayer funds on special levy. But is it advocacy?

St. Paul: Inside Obama Montessori, Bruce Vento Elementary school renovations

New MN tool highlights school financial impact of federal shutdown

Homeowners in the North End, Payne-Phalen, Thomas-Dale/Frogtown and the West Side neighborhoods would see their property taxes go up the most percentage-wise.

Without additional funding from the proposed levy, district officials say they expect to make at least $37 million budget cuts for the 2026-27 school year. If approved by voters, the increase will generate approximately $37.2 million per year in additional revenue.

St. Paul schools officials worked hard to get the word out on the levy referendum, using tax dollars to do so. As of Oct. 29, the district has spent $59,977 on materials to inform the public on the referendum. Including the statutorily-required mailed notice to residents about the referendum, the district has spent $108,257.

Hormel Foods is cutting approximately 250 office roles from its workforce through early retirements and layoffs as part of a restructuring to “thoughtfully align resources.”

The giant Austin, Minn.-based food brand announced the cuts to its corporate and sales areas on Tuesday. The cuts will not impact workers in the food processing plants, according to Hormel.

The restructuring announcement did not state whether the 250 roles are being cut from its corporate offices in Austin or from other facilities in the company.

Of the approximately 3,300 Hormel employees based in Austin, 1,400 employees work in the corporate offices, according to Hormel’s website. Hormel also employs 1,900 people at its Austin processing plant.

Hormel said most of the changes are expected to be effective by the end of 2025. The company said that estimated restructuring charges of $20 million to $25 million are expected to be incurred in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025 and the first quarter of fiscal year 2026.

That estimated $20 million to $25 million includes one-time pension benefits, cash severance payments, stock compensation expenses and employee benefit costs.

“Our focus is on providing support and resources to those impacted as they transition from the company,” said Interim CEO Jeff Ettinger. “Each person who is leaving has contributed to our organization, our culture and our success. We’re grateful for everything they’ve done.”

The maker of SPAM described the restructuring as part of the “company’s ongoing focus on balancing cost discipline with reinvestment in areas critical to its future.”

Hormel Foods President John Ghingo addressed that rebalancing.

“We’re directing resources toward technology, innovation, food safety and quality, and the capabilities — including people capabilities — that will shape our future. We’re confident that our ongoing investments will strengthen our brands, improve efficiency and ensure Hormel Foods stays competitive and responsive to the needs of our consumers and customers,” he stated in the announcement.

By AAMER MADHANI

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Tuesday he has decided to nominate Jared Isaacman to serve as his NASA administrator, months after withdrawing the tech billionaire’s nomination because of concerns about his political leanings.

Related Articles

Democrat Aftab Pureval wins reelection as Cincinnati mayor, defeating Vance’s relative

Trump administration announces 16th deadly strike on an alleged drug boat

Kansas Republicans drop push to enter nation’s widening redistricting battle

Economic worries were at the top of voters’ minds in the 2025 elections, poll finds

Trump administration and private investors sign off on $1.4 billion deal with rare earth startups

Trump announced in late May that he had decided to withdraw Isaacman after a “thorough review” of his “prior associations.” Weeks after the withdrawal, Trump went further in expressing his concerns about Isaacman’s Republican credentials.

At the time, Trump acknowledged that he thought Isaacman “was very good,” but had become “surprised to learn” that Isaacman was a “ blue blooded Democrat, who had never contributed to a Republican before.”

Isaacman had the endorsement of Trump’s former DOGE adviser and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. The president and Musk had a very public falling out earlier this year but are now on better terms.

Last week, Trump told reporters he and Musk have spoken “on and off” since sitting together at conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s funeral last month in Arizona and that their relationship is “good.”

Trump made no mention of his previous decision to nominate and then withdraw Isaacman in his Tuesday evening announcement of the re-nomination on his Truth Social platform. And the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s decision to reverse course.

“This evening, I am pleased to nominate Jared Isaacman, an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut, as Administrator of NASA,” Trump posted. “Jared’s passion for Space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and advancing the new Space economy, make him ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new Era.”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been serving as interim NASA administrator. The president on Tuesday praised Duffy for doing an “incredible job.”

Isaacman, CEO and founder of credit card-processing company Shift4, has been a close collaborator with Musk ever since buying his first chartered flight with SpaceX.

He also bought a series of spaceflights from SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk. SpaceX has extensive contracts with NASA.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved Isaacman’s nomination in late April and a vote by the full Senate had been expected when Trump announced he was yanking the nomination.

In his own social media post Tuesday, Isaacman thanked Trump for the nomination and the “space-loving community.” He made no mention of the earlier turmoil.