The city of Saint Paul, Minnesota held an election on November 2, 2021, to elect the mayor. It was held with ranked-choice voting,[1] and there was no primary election. Few candidates filed to challenge incumbent mayor Melvin Carter III, and he easily won a second term with over 60% of first-preference votes.[2][3][4]
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Carter: >90% 80–90% 70–80% 60–70% 50–60% 40–50% 30–40% Guerin: 30–40% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Background
editIncumbent Mayor Melvin Carter III announced he would seek a second term as mayor on January 26, 2021.[5] During his first term, Mayor Carter presided over the unrest in the Twin Cities after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis; making policing and public safety top of mind for voters in Saint Paul. Additionally, voters were concerned about issues like homelessness, a possible recession, and the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic.[5]
Carter campaigned on achievements like an initiative to provide newborns with a college savings account,[6][5] a pilot program that distributed guaranteed income for some low-income families,[5] and rethinking public safety.[6] Despite entering the race unopposed, Carter was facing several opponents by the close of the filing deadline on August 10, 2021.[7]
In total, Carter faced seven challengers, including: Paul Langenfeld, vice president of the Board of Directors of Highland District Council[8] and founder of a non-profit that caters to people with disabilities;[9] Dino Guerin, former St. Paul District Fire Chief St. Paul City Councilman and Ramsey County commissioner;[7] Dora Jones-Robinson, the executive director of Mentoring Young Adults and founder of Guns Down St. Paul;[7] Miki Frost, father of five and founder of "Truce Center";[7] Scott Wergin, a contractor;[7] Bill Hosko, a downtown coffee shop proprietor art gallery owner and architectural illustrator;[7] and Abu Nayeem, a data analyst who had previously run for St. Paul City Council in 2019.[7]
Most of Carter's opponents supported lowering crime rates[7] and implementing better social systems in the city of St. Paul.[7]
Carter's opponents failed to match him in endorsements—the mayor won the Saint Paul Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party's endorsement on July 18, 2021,[10] as well as endorsements from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flannagan—but Paul Langenfeld was able to self-finance[7] his campaign to match Mayor Carter's.[7]
Candidates
editDeclared
edit- Melvin Carter III, incumbent mayor (DFL)[11][3]
- Miki Frost, mentor for troubled youth (Independent)[7]
- Dino Guerin, investigative assistant at the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department, former Ramsey County commissioner, former Saint Paul District Fire Chief, and former city councillor[7]
- Bill Hosko, artist, cafe owner, and perennial candidate[11][3]
- Dora Jones-Robinson, gun control activist[11][3]
- Paul Langenfeld, personal care attendant and former vice president of the Highland Park district council[3][7]
- Abu Nayeem, data analyst and community organizer[7]
- Scott Evans Wergin, biochemist[3]
Declined
editEndorsements
edit- State officials
- City officials
- Pat Harris, former member of Saint Paul City Council and candidate for mayor in 2017[11]
- Labor unions
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers[11]
- North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters[11]
- SEIU Minnesota [14]
- AFSCME Council 5 [15]
- Saint Paul Firefighters IAFF Local 21 [16]
- Political parties
- Publications
- The Star Tribune [18]
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Melvin Carter III (incumbent) | 36,426 | 61.63 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dino Guerin | 7,454 | 12.61 | |
| Nonpartisan | Paul Langenfeld | 5,298 | 8.96 | |
| Nonpartisan | Bill Hosko | 3,423 | 5.79 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dora Jones-Robinson | 2,357 | 3.99 | |
| Nonpartisan | Miki Frost | 2,069 | 3.50 | |
| Nonpartisan | Abu Nayeem | 1,516 | 2.57 | |
| Nonpartisan | Scott Evans Wergin | 355 | 0.60 | |
| Write-in | 205 | 0.35 | ||
| Total votes | 59,103 | 100.00 | ||
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ Ramsey County (June 10, 2015). "Ranked Voting". Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ "St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter cruises toward second term despite criticism about crime and policing". Star Tribune.
- ^ a b c d e f "St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, challengers file for mayor". July 27, 2021.
- ^ a b "Index". Election Results. November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter announces bid for re-election". Twin Cities. January 26, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
- ^ a b "'Our biggest competition is apathy': a Q&A with St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter". MinnPost. September 17, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "They're off to the races: Melvin Carter faces seven colorful, feisty, underfunded challengers for St. Paul mayor". August 15, 2021.
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
- ^ Gayles, Jia. "Paul Langenfeld". Points of Light. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
- ^ "I am honored to be endorsed by our @MinnesotaDFL party, and I want to commemorate the Saint Paul DFL for executing a smooth virtual convention process even amid the compound crises we've faced this past year. Let's use this momentum to continue building our #RunSTP community". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved October 3, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Melvin Carter re-election kickoff pledges to be 'strong force for good in our city,' while challengers eye the field". February 23, 2021.
- ^ "Walz Endorses Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey For Re-Election, Melvin Carter For St. Paul". July 2, 2021.
- ^ "Flannagan Endorses Melvin Carter For St. Paul". August 11, 2021.
- ^ "SEIU MN Endorses Melvin Carter For St. Paul". February 5, 2021.
- ^ "Unions endorse Melvin Carter For St. Paul". July 17, 2021.
- ^ "Saint Paul Firefighters endorse Melvin Carter For St. Paul". March 15, 2021.
- ^ "St. Paul DFL endorses Carter for mayor, three first-time candidates for school board". July 23, 2021.
- ^ "Depend on Carter to Guide St. Paul". October 16, 2021.