St. Paul elects its first African-American mayor

The city of St. Paul, Minn., has elected its first African-American mayor in Melvin Carter.

Carter, a former St. Paul city council member, won the mayor’s race after receiving 50.89 percent of the vote, according to WCCO. He will take over for current Mayor Chris Coleman, both of whom are members of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party in Minnesota.

Carter carried several prominent endorsements into the election, including Coleman and Democratic National Committee Vice Chair Rep. Keith Ellison (Minn.). 

{mosads}“With you by my side, I’m ready to get to work,” Carter told his supporters at an event following the election results.

The fourth-generation St. Paul resident ran on a platform centered on issues like police reform, affordable pre-kindergarten education and expanding public transportation throughout the city.

Carter joins several other victors of historic mayoral elections on Tuesday night.

Ravi Bhalla was elected as mayor of Hoboken, N.J., making him New Jersey’s first Sikh mayor in state history.

Charlotte, N.C., also elected its first female African-American mayor in Democrat Vi Lyles.