Melvin Carter III made history election night as Saint Paul’s first African American mayor. Carter, a former Saint Paul City Councilmember, surprised many political pundits by clinching the historic win in the first round of vote tabulations.
Saying he was elated and humbled by the win, Carter, surrounded by his family, thanked supporters and spoke candidly about what he overcame in his bid to become the first Black mayor of Minnesota’s capital city.
Carter held his watch party and victory speech in the Union Red Cap room — a nod to African American baggage handlers, including his grandfather, who served as Red Caps.
Carter is a fourth-generation St. Paul resident and the son of a police officer. He ran, in part, on police reform and in later days of the campaign, the Saint Paul Police Federation accused Carter of being irresponsible for not knowing the serial numbers on guns stolen from his home. Some political pundits think the backlash to the Federation’s attack may have actually helped Carter secure an easy victory.
Learn more about Carter’s vision for the city by going here: www.melvincarter.org/vision. For full election results in Saint Paul go here. Go here for full Minneapolis election results.
Stay tuned for more news about St. Paul Mayor-Elect Melvin Carter III and other newly elected officials in coming days on the MSRNewsOnline.com. All photos by Chris Juhn.
Support Black local news
Help amplify Black voices by donating to the MSR. Your contribution enables critical coverage of issues affecting the community and empowers authentic storytelling.