St. Paul swears in first all-female City Council

Four new and three returning St. Paul City Council members were sworn in Tuesday during an inauguration ceremony for the capital city's youngest, most racially diverse and first all-female legislative body.

Hundreds of spectators filled downtown's Ordway Concert Hall for the two-hour afternoon program, delivering the first of many standing ovations as the seven women walked to the center of the stage, clad in bright purples, pinks and reds.

Though St. Paul is not the first city to elect an all-female council, it is believed to be the biggest, a feat that has drawn national attention.

"We're here because our work at City Hall is not only to ensure amazing city services," said incumbent Mitra Jalali, who is set to be voted council president by her peers Wednesday. "This historic council was sent to do historic work."

The transition marks the most turnover the council has seen since the 1990s. All seven council members were on the ballot in November, and four of those seats were open after incumbents announced they would not seek re-election.

Every member of the incoming council is younger than 40, and a majority are women of color.

Mayor Melvin Carter, who emceed the event, reflected back on his own swearing in as a council member in 2008 — when he was the only person of color on stage, and former Council President Kathy Lantry was the only woman.

"My, how things have changed," he said, adding: "One of the challenges that we will face together is the desire to make improvements — balancing that with the discomfort that change inevitably brings."

One by one, first-term Council Members Anika Bowie, Saura Jost, Hwa Jeong Kim and Cheniqua Johnson took their oaths of office surrounded by family and friends, as did incumbents Jalali, Rebecca Noecker and Nelsie Yang. All will serve four-year terms.

Their elections brought across-the-board victory for progressive Democrats in St. Paul, perhaps foreshadowing a shift toward more liberal policies. Several state and local DFLers peppered the audience, including Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who gave an address.

"Thank you for being change-makers. Thank you for being the road-pavers. Thank you for being the firsts," she said to the council members on stage. "By sitting in these chairs today, you are inspiring more girls than you can ever imagine."

Since the new council members started moving into their offices last week, Jalali joked that City Hall "has felt a bit like the Barbie movie."

In her remarks, she listed a slew of issues on which she and the other council members plan to turn their focus, including housing affordability, more sustainable transportation and infrastructure, community safety and local business assistance.

"Representation is not the endpoint of our work," Jalali said. "It's just the beginning."

The ceremony included the St. Paul Fire Department and Police Department color guards, as well as performances from a singer from Progressive Baptist Church, spoken word artist Muna Abdulahi, the Blazing Sapphire Hmong dance team and the Capital City Wind Ensemble.

Noecker — the new council's most senior member, who was sworn in for her third term and will serve as chair of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority — gave closing remarks. She urged the group to take advantage of the moment "and really change things."

"We have the chance to show — through our actions, not just our words — what we all believe," she said. "That government can be a force for good in people's lives."