St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her Signals Firm Stance Against Federal Overreach in Inaugural Address
Kaohly Her was sworn in as St. Paul’s first woman and first Asian American mayor, using her inaugural address to outline a governing agenda centered on accountability, fiscal planning, and resistance to federal overreach. Speaking at St. Catherine University, Her pledged to work with the City Council on ordinances limiting federal agent activity in the city, emphasized transparency in city infrastructure planning, and honored the leadership of her predecessor, Melvin Carter.
In her inaugural speech as the first woman and Asian American mayor of St. Paul, Kaohly Her pledged to stand up to President Donald Trump’s administration by backing a proposal to ban federal agents from wearing masks while operating in the city.
“We have a federal administration determined to make life more difficult for all of us here, whether it is cutting funding to our city or targeting our neighbors,” Her said to a packed crowd at The O’Shaughnessy at St. Catherine University on Jan. 2. “That is why I’m committed to working with the City Council to establish ordinances to rein in their power, from banning them from organizing in our public parks and spaces, to implementing a ban on mask coverings.”
The mask ban proposal, aimed at preventing federal agents from concealing their identities during operations in St. Paul, reminded the audience of last summer’s killing of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman by a masked gunman impersonating a police officer.
“One thing we know about this administration is that they won’t play by the rules,” Her said.
But the new mayor’s biggest applause came from an unexpected place: municipal finance. “So as a person with an ‘investments background,’ here’s the piece I’m sure you’ve all been waiting for — deferred maintenance and budget projections,” Her said.
The audience roared. Everyone in the auditorium stood for a round of applause.
“These expenses are doable, and we can plan for them,” she said. “Our city does not have a compiled list of upcoming projects and deferred maintenance.”
Unlike Her’s previous campaign appearances, where she criticized her former boss and now-predecessor Melvin Carter for suggesting the city implement an assault weapons ban that she said would cost the city money in legal fees, Friday’s speech acknowledged the challenges faced by the city’s first Black mayor and arguably its most progressive.
Her, who once served as policy director under Carter, thanked him for his work guiding the city through the Covid-19 pandemic and the unrest following the murder of George Floyd.
“You led our city through extremely challenging times” Her said. “The work that you did laid the foundation for this new administration to springboard from. I started my political life working for you. I will always be grateful for that opportunity.”
Her paid an emotional tribute to former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, whom she credited with inspiring her mayoral run just three months before the general election. “She was an in-the-weeds, hard-working, putting-people-first kind of leader. I can’t see my notes now,” Her said, her voice catching.
Rhetorically, Friday’s speech felt personal and grounded. Her referenced hummingbirds as a symbol of hope during difficult times.
“Hummingbirds came to symbolize and offer peace to me in times of great uncertainty or need,” she said. “I saw my first hummingbird ever in my entire life. It was so close that I could touch it.”
She also reflected on the historic nature of her election. “Never in our city’s history has a woman, an Asian American, a Hmong person, or a refugee held this position,” Her said.
“The strong women standing with me here on stage broke barriers. It is because of their achievements that we keep opening new doors and shattering ceilings.”
St. Catherine University President Dr. Marketa Evans and former DFL outreach volunteer Merce Tyler spoke about what the transition from Carter to Her means for the city. “They’re bringing in very experienced leadership, and representation matters. She has the credentials to be the mayor,” Evans said.
Tyler saw consistency between the two administrations. “I believe that former mayor Melvin Carter was a torchbearer and did a lot of great work for St. Paul,” Tyler said.
“I am very excited to see bold representation. I’m very excited to see that change that leads from a grassroots level in a community.”
Both emphasized the importance of diverse leadership. “This is so important because representation matters,” Evans said. “Having a woman, a Hmong Asian American, as mayor is exciting.”
“I think this is great, not only for St. Paul, but Minneapolis as well, for us to come together, especially in the times we are in, in terms of the political atmosphere,” Tyler said.