In this year’s local election, St. Paul elected an all-female city council for the first time in the city’s history. The city council now comprises of seven women: Anika Bowie, Rebecca Noecker, Saura Jost, Mitra Jalali, Cheniqua Johnson, Nelsie Yang, and Hwa Jeong Kim. Most of the new women on the council are people of color, which is another groundbreaking step forward in politics in St. Paul, considering 76% of all people in city councils in the United States are white.

“I think it’s great,” sophomore Sona Jain said. “Women deserve a chance.”

“I have never been more proud of the city of St. Paul in my entire life,” sophomore Fletcher Coblentz said.

One councilperson, Hwa Jeong Kim, was elected to serve on the council for Ward 5 of St. Paul. Kim told CNN, “they didn’t just vote for women of color and women. They voted for experience, a shared vision, values, and also the skill set to deliver on a really bold future.”

Kim is also a director of a nonprofit organization that encourages civic engagement and voter access in the Twin Cities.

Saura Jost represents the district in Ward 3 of the city. Jost was another candidate elected who plans to focus on infrastructure in her ward.

“We really need engineers, especially civil engineers, in public office to provide that expertise when it comes to our infrastructure,” Jost said. “I wanted to help solve some of these problems we’re facing, especially around our roads.”

The five other elected women are Anika Bowie, Rebecca Noeker, Mitra Jalali, Chenique Johnson, and Nelsie Yang. They all bring different perspectives, political views, and plans for the city to the table, and everyone on the council comes from diverse and unique backgrounds.

The new city council members will serve a four-year term from January 2024 to December 2027. Though each person has slightly different plans and focuses for the city, they are all united in their goal of helping the people of St. Paul.

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Andrew Lipinsky

Women in government jobs in the Unites States