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In a tearful early-morning victory speech, Her thanked her parents, who fled Laos during the 1970s as Hmong refugees. “When I think about what my parents did, the things that they fought to get us to this country, when I think about the sacrifices that they made, and what they did so their children could have a better life than them…the one thing my parents always taught us was to have faith in God,” she said.
Her admitted she had prepared two speeches in advance — “Scenario 1” if she lost, and “Scenario 2” if she won — but it was clear she hadn’t fully expected the latter.
From Aide to Adversary
Carter, who had once served as her mentor, called to congratulate his former aide after conceding defeat. “This has to be about the city and that means we have to set her up for success,” he told supporters, pledging a smooth transition despite the political shockwave.
Her’s campaign focused heavily on revitalizing the city’s struggling downtown and the long-neglected Midway district — areas that never fully recovered from pandemic lockdowns and rising crime. Her promised to breathe life back into those neighborhoods, though critics question how she plans to do that while embracing far-left policies.
Embracing Sanctuary Politics
Her also made headlines for her fiery rhetoric against the Trump administration and federal immigration enforcement. She vowed to use the city’s power to resist federal pressure on Democrat-led cities, declaring she would mobilize “the full force of the city behind defending our neighbors.”
“It’s not a question of when they come, because they’re already here, it’s a question of how hard and where,” she warned.
The comments drew praise from progressive activists — and alarm from conservatives who see them as open defiance of federal law. Her’s stance has cemented her as a hero among far-left circles and a potential flashpoint in the national debate over sanctuary cities.
A City Fully Controlled by the Left
Her’s win also marks a broader political shift in St. Paul: for the first time ever, every major city leadership position is now held by women, with all seven city council members already female. The move is being celebrated by Democrats as a “historic moment” — but critics say it’s another sign that identity politics, not policy, drives elections in liberal strongholds.
What happens next could become a test case for how far progressive cities are willing to go in embracing candidates who challenge even the basic principles of immigration law.
Her’s own words — “I am illegal in this country” — may soon take center stage in a constitutional and political showdown that stretches far beyond Minnesota.
One thing’s certain: the national spotlight is now firmly fixed on St. Paul, where a self-described “illegal immigrant” just became mayor — and a symbol of how radically the Democratic Party’s priorities have shifted.
