State Rep. Kaohly Vang Her, DFL-St. Paul, has announced she will challenge incumbent St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter in the city’s mayoral election this November. Her’s decision to enter the race disrupts an election that many saw as a lock for Carter.
“I was born in a bamboo hut in the mountains of Laos,” said Her, declaring her candidacy. “My family came to the United States as refugees. My parents had working-class jobs that paid enough to buy a home, give us a high-quality education, and break the poverty cycle in one generation. Everyone deserves that chance.”
Her is serving in her fourth term as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. Notably, she previously worked as a policy director in Carter’s mayoral office.
“Our city needs safe streets, strong schools, and thriving neighborhoods.” said Her. “The cost of living continues to rise, our emergency services are stretched to the limit, housing is expensive and out of reach for many, and economic growth is at a standstill.”
Calling herself “the right leader for this moment,” Her said “we must expect more from our leaders to deal with the cruelty and volatility of Trump’s tariffs, immigration policies, and cuts at the federal level that threaten the livelihood of our community.”
During her time in the House, Her has supported legislation which gives driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, authorizes abortion with no restrictions, and would legalize assisted suicide. The DFLer currently serves as the co-chair of the House commerce committee.
Just two months ago, Her gained national attention after telling her fellow lawmakers, “I am illegal in this country. My parents are illegal here in this country.” Her made the stunning comments during a House floor debate where she shared how her family came to America.
Addressing her fellow lawmakers, the DFLer appeared to admit that her father, who worked at a U.S. consulate in southeast Asia, forged documents to get his family to America. Her said she had just recently learned that information and told the chamber, “My family broke the law to come here.”
Her’s statements quickly gained national attention on various news outlets and social media platforms. In response, she issued a statement walking back her comments. Among other things, Her said she is a citizen, her parents are citizens, her family “came legally as refugees of the Vietnam War,” and “I am legal.”
The statement did not deny that her father forged paperwork to get her family to America.
This year’s St. Paul mayoral election will take place on Nov. 4. With Her’s announcement, the race for mayor features four candidates: Her, Carter, Yan Chen, and Michael Hilborn.
Unlike the heated mayoral campaign unfolding in Minneapolis, the race to lead St. Paul has not generated significant media attention until now. Carter, like his mayoral counterpart in Minneapolis, is seeking a third term.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
