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Mayoral election in St. Paul, Minnesota (2025)
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Special state legislative • School boards • Municipal • All local elections by county • How to run for office |
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← 2021
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| 2025 St. Paul elections |
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| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: August 12, 2025 |
| General election: November 4, 2025 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: Mayor |
| Total seats up: 1 (click here for other city elections) |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2025 |
The city of St. Paul, Minnesota, is holding a general election for mayor on November 4, 2025. The filing deadline for this election was August 12, 2025.
As of 2025, St. Paul does not have term limits for the position of mayor. Mayors serve a four-year term.
Elections
Click on the tabs below to show more information about those topics.
Candidates and results
General election
The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.
General election for Mayor of St. Paul
Incumbent Melvin Carter III, Yan Chen, Adam Dullinger, Kaohly Her, and Mike Hilborn are running in the general election for Mayor of St. Paul on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Melvin Carter III (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Yan Chen (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Adam Dullinger (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Kaohly Her (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan) | ||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Minnesota elections, 2025
February 11, 2025
February 25, 2025
March 11, 2025
August 12, 2025
August 26, 2025
November 4, 2025
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
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Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan)
Saint Paul has the highest sales tax and highest property taxes in Minnesota. Saint Paul is the most expensive place to live and most expensive place to run a business. We have to lower taxes and make Saint Paul affordable.
Taxes in St. Paul are increasing faster than our population, suggesting that money isn’t being spent efficiently. The average homeowner here pays $4,168 per year in property taxes, which is $1,768 more than the national average. Since 2021, office property values have dropped by over 15%, while costs for some businesses have risen by 41%. These tax changes directly affect how expensive it is to run a business.
Lower Crime
Crime hurts everyone. Especially the poor. We have to hold our criminals accountable and support our police.
I am a huge supporter of our law enforcement officers. LEOs are the backbone of a safe community. Right now, the St. Paul Police Department (SPPD) is short 18% of its officers, and this has contributed to a sharp rise in crime. St. Paul’s crime rate is 89.5% higher than the state average and 94% higher than the national average—these are troubling statistics!
My office will work to secure funding and resources for the SPPD to recruit and retain more officers, ensuring they have the support needed to protect our city.
Homelessness
Address severe mental illness and expand access to shelter. No one should sleep outside.
Ramsey County has the highest rate of homelessness in the metro area, with about 10,000 people experiencing homelessness in St. Paul alone. However, there are only 6,200 beds available to shelter them, leaving many without a safe place to stay.
To solve this issue, we need to increase housing options and address the root causes of homelessness, such as job loss, substance abuse, mental health challenges, and the lack of affordable housing. I will work to bring together organizations and resources to tackle these problems and create lasting solutions for our community.Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan)
Saint Paul is our Minnesota capitol. Our downtown should be a clear reflection of our beautiful state. We are going to make downtown Saint Paul a beautiful and safe destination for businesses, families and visitors.
Live…work…play! From our beloved Minnesota Wild and St. Paul Saints, to multiple museums, numerous performing arts theaters and a teeming restaurant scene, downtown Saint Paul is the heartbeat of our state! My administration will immediately implement policies to restore Saint Paul to the thriving city we know it to be. We aim to bolster our tourism industry and attract new residents and businesses by reminding everyone of Saint Paul’s unrivaled vibrancy!Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan)
Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan)
Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan)
2. Transparency: open and honest in decision making processes. Public needs to see how and why decisions are made. 3. Accountability: must take responsibility for their actions and decisions. 4. Leadership: effectively guide their staff and their constituents. Be able to make difficult decisions. 5. Listening and communication: listen to their constituents and effectively communicate with a wide range of people. 6. Empathy: understand the needs and concerns of a diverse population.
7. Commitment to public service: prioritize the best interest of the public over personal gain.Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan)
Show Up Get Things Done Do the Right Thing Grow or Die
These four core values are why my business has been so successful. My company and I live these core values every day.Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan)
2. Making policy decisions: develop policies, laws and regulations that promote freedom and liberty. 3. Budgeting and financial oversight: allocate resources and provide oversight to ensure public funds are used responsibly. 4. Collaborating with other officials: work with government officials, citizens, and organizations to address community needs. 5. Ensuring transparency and accountability: ensure that government actions are transparent, accountable and responsive to the public.
6. Promoting public welfare: promote the welfare, safety, and prosperity of their communities by addressing social issues and promoting economic development.Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan)
Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan)
Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan)
Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan)
Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan)
Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan)
Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan)
The ideal relationship between the mayor and the city council should be one of collaboration, mutual respect, and clear delineation of roles. The mayor, as the executive, should set a strategic vision for Saint Paul, propose budgets, and execute policies while keeping the council informed and engaged. The city council, as the legislative body, should focus on passing ordinances, approving budgets, and representing the diverse interests of Saint Paul’s residents. Regular communication—through meetings, briefings, or joint planning sessions—helps align priorities and avoid conflicts.
The mayor should respect the council’s legislative authority, ensuring their input shapes major decisions, while the council should avoid micromanaging executive functions, trusting the mayor to implement policies effectively. When disagreements arise, such as over budget priorities or vetoes, both sides should prioritize transparent dialogue and compromise to serve the city’s best interests. For example, addressing shared goals like public safety or economic development requires the mayor to propose actionable plans and the council to provide legislative support, ensuring checks and balances without gridlock.Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan)
Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan)
Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan)
Key elements of this relationship include:
Clear Communication: Regular briefings between the mayor’s office and police leadership ensure the mayor is informed about crime trends, resource needs, and community concerns.
Shared Priorities: The mayor should work with the police to set goals like reducing violent crime or improving community trust, while respecting the department’s operational autonomy.
Accountability and Oversight: The mayor must hold the police accountable for misconduct or inefficiencies, supporting reforms when needed, such as enhanced training or body camera policies. The police should provide transparent reporting to the mayor’s office to maintain public trust.
Community Bridge: The mayor acts as a liaison between the police and residents, ensuring community input shapes policing strategies. Town halls or public safety forums can facilitate this dialogue.
This relationship avoids micromanagement by the mayor’s office while ensuring the police operate under civilian oversight. It balances the mayor’s executive authority with the police’s professional expertise, fostering a partnership that enhances safety and responsiveness in Saint Paul.Mike Hilborn (Nonpartisan)
You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I was born in Minneapolis in 1963 and raised in the Twin Cities by my parents, Lloyd and Sally Hilborn. Lloyd retired as a UAW worker on the assembly line at the Saint Paul Ford plant, and Sally worked at Control Data soldering circuit boards. My parents instilled in me a deep work ethic and taught me to work hard, play fair, do the right thing, and expect the best in life—values I now pass on to my own family. I graduated from Bethel University in 1985. To pay for college, I worked nights at UPS and was promoted to full-time management in 1985. I raised my three sons in a house in Saint Paul. Today, they are 36, 34, and 32. In 1995, I started a small business out of my garage in Saint Paul that grew so that I had to leave UPS in 2000. My company has been in Saint Paul for 30 years and has grown to 45 employees. We power wash in the spring, summer, and fall, and plow snow during the winter. As a second-chance employer, we hire men and women who have been incarcerated or are in recovery. Our employees start at $25 an hour, with health and dental insurance, 401K, and paid time off (PTO). My business and my home are in Saint Paul. I serve on the Board of Directors for AccessAbility, Inc., which helps people with disabilities and other challenges find meaningful employment. I regularly speak to men and women at Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge, which assists individuals in overcoming chemical addictions and other life-controlling problems."
Mayoral partisanship
St. Paul has a Democratic mayor. As of September 2025, 66 mayors in the largest 100 cities by population are affiliated with the Democratic Party, 23 are affiliated with the Republican Party, one is affiliated with the Libertarian Party, three are independents, five identify as nonpartisan or unaffiliated, and two mayors' affiliations are unknown. Click here for a list of the 100 largest cities' mayors and their partisan affiliations.
Mayoral elections are officially nonpartisan in most of the nation's largest cities. However, many officeholders are affiliated with political parties. Ballotpedia uses one or more of the following sources to identify each officeholder's partisan affiliation: (1) direct communication from the officeholder, (2) current or previous candidacy for partisan office, or (3) identification of partisan affiliation by multiple media outlets.
Help inform our readers
Take our candidate survey
- See also: Survey
At Ballotpedia, we believe that everyone deserves meaningful, reliable, trustworthy information about their candidates. We also know that good information—especially at the local level—is hard to find. That's why Ballotpedia created Candidate Connection.
We ask all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Our survey helps voters better understand how their candidates think about the world and how they intend to govern—information they need to feel confident they're picking the best person for the role.
If you are a candidate, take our survey here. Or you can ask a candidate to take the survey by sharing the link with them.
Submit endorsements
Endorsements can be particularly helpful for voters trying to decide between candidates in local races, which often feature nonpartisan candidates. Endorsements from individuals and organizations can help voters better understand policy differences between candidates in these cases where little or no other news coverage of policy stances exists.
Candidates, share endorsements here. Readers, share endorsements you know about here.
About the city
- See also: St. Paul, Minnesota
St. Paul is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota. As of 2020, its population was 311,527.
City government
- See also: Mayor-council government
The city of St. Paul uses a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body while the mayor serves as the city's chief executive.[1]
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for St. Paul, Minnesota | ||
|---|---|---|
| St. Paul | Minnesota | |
| Population | 311,527 | 5,706,494 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 51 | 79,631 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 55.2% | 81.6% |
| Black/African American | 15.5% | 6.4% |
| Asian | 19.1% | 4.9% |
| Native American | 0.8% | 1% |
| Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% |
| Other (single race) | N/A | 2.1% |
| Multiple | 6.3% | 3.9% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 9% | 5.5% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 87.6% | 93.4% |
| College graduation rate | 41.3% | 36.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $59,717 | $73,382 |
| Persons below poverty level | 17.9% | 9.3% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
| St. Paul, Minnesota | Minnesota | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
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External links
Footnotes
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