Minnesota state Representative Kaohly Vang Her secured victory in the St. Paul mayoral race on Tuesday, marking a significant political milestone despite revelations about her family’s immigration history.
Her, a member of the DFL party, defeated incumbent Mayor Melvin Carter in the second round of ranked-choice voting, receiving fewer than 2,000 more votes than her opponent. During her victory speech, she acknowledged her roots as a refugee and expressed gratitude to Carter for his service. “Never in their wildest dreams would I be standing here today,” she said.
The controversy surrounding Her’s eligibility emerged earlier this year when she disclosed that her family had falsified immigration documents to enter the United States. Born in Laos, Her described how her father, who worked at a U.S. consulate, altered paperwork to expedite their arrival. She explained that her family circumvented standard procedures by falsely claiming her maternal grandmother was her father’s mother. “My parents are illegal here in this country,” she stated during a legislative session.
A separate revelation clarified that Her’s “uncle”—previously cited as a relative who facilitated their entry—was actually a family friend. She later asserted that her family would have qualified for U.S. residency regardless of the falsified records, though the documents accelerated the process.
Since immigrating, Her has become a U.S. citizen and now serves in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
