One hundred days into her term, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her has stayed true to one of the key promises she made in her inaugural speech.

“This is my commitment to you as your next mayor,” she said. “I will always show up. We are a large city, but a small community. Being involved matters.”

Involvement is something that St. Paul’s first Hmong and female mayor has never shied from.
“It’s really impactful that she is the first woman to lead in St Paul. And in addition to that, she’s the first Hmong American, I think that … it’s a good representation,” sophomore Emma Brewton said. “It’s inspiring to younger women knowing that they can also make an impact.”

After pursuing higher education, Her spent 15 years working in budget analytics. Taking a pause from the workforce, she spent time as a stay-at-home mom, caring for her two children. Her then worked as the Board Administrator for St. Paul, before being elected a Minnesota state representative for District 64A in 2018.

On April 20, Her gave her first State of the City address. The event took place at the International Institute of Minnesota.

In her speech, Her reviewed discussions held with business owners and their responses. A highlight was the links to Immigration Defense Network and St. Paul police efforts to keep residents safe during Operation Metro Surge earlier this year.

“While we work to restore economic vitality downtown and commercial corridors across our city, we must first grapple with the unprecedented economic damage done by the Trump administration during Operation Metro Surge,” she said.

Her urged lawmakers to be aware of the loss that Minnesota, specifically Twin Cities communities, have faced in recent months and not yet recovered from. She mentioned various efforts that have taken place as forms of relief.

“Our response to the federal occupation is far from over,” she said. “We will have to work intentionally for years to overcome the harm the Trump administration inflicted on our city.”

Despite her strong campaign, Operation Metro Surge was an event that neither Mayor Her, nor any politician anticipated. Her took time and effort to support citizens of St Paul, as well as others in surrounding areas. Sophomore Kieran Adhearne-Kroll, who lives in St. Paul, appreciated this care.

“I feel glad that I’m living here. … Despite all of the ICE activity, it is one of the more liberal and supportive places in Minnesota and in the U.S.,” they said. “I’ve seen a lot of news stories about how we’re all coming together, and we’re all supportive. … I feel really happy to be living here and around that culture.”

Her’s focus on affordability, safety and blooming economics were all key touchpoints in her State of the City address. These focused not only at the start of her term, but her future. As Mayor Her continues into her term, hope for the future quells.

“Together, we will keep repairing what’s broken, investing in what matters, and seizing the opportunities ahead. I am honored to do this work with you: to listen, to act, and to lift Saint Paul higher by rising to our full potential,” Mayor Her said as she closed out her State of the City address.