All-female City Council takes charge in St. Paul, Minn, claims their race, gender will ignite ‘change’

During the inauguration ceremony on Tuesday evening, Democrat Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said that "while this is historic, it should also simply be the way it is. The norm."

"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, according to the Star Tribune. "By sitting in these chairs today, you are inspiring more girls than you can ever imagine."

This marks the first major city in US history to be run by an all-female city council.

Council member Nelsie Yang, who has represented Ward 6 since 2020, said the new council is "frankly, long overdue."

"This is the vision I had when I first started organizing eight years ago," said Yang. "Change doesn't happen with the same voices at the table."

Michael J. Lansing, a historian at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, referred to the new council as "a turning point for St. Paul."

"They’re all under 40, they come from these different backgrounds, they’re probably going to be in politics for a while," he said, according to the New York Times. "What do they do? What can they change? How do they see things differently?"

Mitra Jalali, the new president of the council, Rebecca Noecker, and Nelsie Yang are the three incumbents on the new council. The four new members are Anika Bowie, Cheniqua Johnson, Hwa Jeong Kim, and Saura Jost. The council is comprised of legislative aides, community activists, nonprofit CEOs, and retired educators, according to the New York Times.

Newcomer Saura Jost, an engineer who now represents Ward 3, was particularly excited about the council being predominately comprised of "women of color." Jost banded together with council members Bowie, Johnson, and Kim to form a coalition to help them get elected to the city council.

"It's a small network of women, especially women of color. We all know each other," she said. "That was so great to have that support system."

Council member Noecker said, "It's going to be important to learn how to disagree civilly."

"We're not going to agree on everything. That's the point," she added.

Anika Bowie, who now represents Ward 1, said she was "excited to see how we dance together." Bowie acknowledged that there will be some fights but hopes that they are "righteous fights."

The Capital City Wind Ensemble, spoken word artist Muna Abdulahi, the Blazing Sapphire Hmong dance team, a singer from Progressive Baptist Church, and color guards from the St. Paul Police and Fire Departments also performed at the inauguration ceremony.