Press Release
DFL-Endorsed Candidates Sweep in St. Paul, Win an All-Women, Majority Women of Color Council
11/10/2023
ST PAUL – With the official victory of Councilmember-Elect Cheniqua Johnson in Ward 7 this afternoon, all of Saint Paul DFL’s endorsed candidates won their respective elections. She joins Councilmember Rebecca Noecker, Councilmember-Elect Saura Jost, Councilmember Mitra Jalali, Councilmember-Elect HwaJeong Kim, and Councilmember Nelsie Yang as the victorious DFL-endorsed candidates for City Council. Councilmember-Elect Anika Bowie, who also pursued the DFL endorsement last spring, was elected in Ward 1.
This historic all-women City Council is also a super-majority of Women of Color, entirely under 40 years old, and includes homeowners and renters, young families, a host of professional backgrounds, and decades of leadership and lived experience that reflect the diversity of the city they will represent.
“I am so proud of voters in St. Paul for electing the first all-women, majority women of color, city council in the nation,” said Ken Martin, Minnesota DFL Chairman. “These women leaders are representative of the diverse lived and professional experiences of those in our Capital City. With such experienced and community-centered women helping to lead our city, I am confident that this will only be the first of many historic accomplishments that these DFL leaders will deliver for Saint Paul.”
“I am incredibly proud of Saint Paul DFL and our coordinated field team, campaign staff, volunteers, and our endorsed candidates for their relentless work,” Dieu Do, Saint Paul DFL Chair, said. “This victory shows that when we invest in the leadership of BIPOC folks and young people and are united in our vision, we can profoundly change what it looks like to mobilize in municipal elections and lead in city government.”
In addition to the City Council, Chauntyll Allen, Yusef Carrillo, Carlo Franco, and Erica Valliant — the Saint Paul DFL-endorsed candidates for School Board — all handedly won their elections. These candidates are dedicated to delivering for Saint Paul families, students, and educators.
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