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Mayor of St. Paul: Rep. Kaohly Her wins election
Kaohly Vang Her has made history, becoming St. Paul’s first woman mayor after unseating incumbent Melvin Carter. FOX 9’s Bill Keller has the latest.
(FOX 9) - Two seats within the Minnesota House of Representatives have again been settled by a special election less than a month before the legislative session is set to begin.
District 64A, 47A special election results
What we know:
In District 47A, representing the eastern Twin Cities suburbs, only DFL nominee Shelley Buck appeared by name on the ballot. No Republicans filed for the race in the district that has historically leaned DFL.
The Minnesota Secretary of State website has the preliminary results at 97.5% in favor of Buck.
In St. Paul, District 67A will be represented by Democrat Meg Luger-Nikolai, a labor attorney who won the seat against Republican Dan Walsh.
The Minnesota Secretary of State website has the preliminary results at 95.2% in favor of Luger-Nikolai. Official election results will be certified at a later date.
What they're saying:
House DFL Leader Zack Stephenson released the following statement on Meg Luger-Nikolai and Shelley Buck’s special election victories:
"Congratulations to Shelley Buck and Meg Luger-Nikolai on their special election wins. As the former President of the Prairie Island Indian Community, Shelley Buck brings unique leadership experience and perspective to the House DFL and will be a fearless champion for working families. Meg Luger-Nikolai has dedicated her life and career to standing up for workers, defending public schools, and protecting access to affordable health care. Both Shelley and Meg are going to be exceptional legislators, and I am excited to welcome them to our team.
"These House DFL election wins restore the tie in the Minnesota House and maintain the balance that Minnesotans voted for in 2024."
Why you should care:
The Minnesota House of Representatives was tied 67-67 before former state Rep. Kaohly Her (64A) and former state Rep. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger (47A) resigned from their seats for new roles – Her becoming the new mayor of St. Paul, and Hemmingsen-Jaeger taking over the seat left vacant by former Senator Nicole Mitchell’s resignation.
Kaohly Her was first elected to represent 64A, in 2019, and reelected again in 2023. She previously received national attention after proclaiming, "My family broke the law to come here" during a debate over MinnesotaCare cuts for undocumented adults.
Hemmingsen-Jaeger has been a state representative since 2023, after being elected in 2022 by a 60-40% margin. According to the Minnesota Secretary of State's website, Hemmingsen-Jaeger won 82.28% of the vote in the DFL primary last August.
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DFL, GOP expect Sen. Mitchell to resign
Minnesota lawmakers on both sides of isle are calling for Sen. Nicole Mitchell resign after she was found guilty.
Dig deeper:
Had the seats been "flipped" to Republican lawmakers, the GOP would have gained a 67-65 in the House.
However, the results ensure a balance of power, and a 67-67 tie remaining in the House, which required a power-sharing agreement before legislators got to work last year.
Minnesota’s Senate is separated by a single vote, with DFLers holding a 34-33 majority.