St. Paul City Council President Mitra Jalali (Ward 4) announced she will be stepping down from the City Council following this Wednesday’s council meeting to focus on her health.
The next president of the council will be Council Member Rebecca Noecker (Ward 2) with Council Member Hwa Jeong Kim (Ward 5) continuing as vice president, according to a statement from City Council spokesperson Jay Willms.
More information regarding the appointment of an interim council member for Ward 4, which includes the neighborhoods of St. Anthony Park and parts of Como Park near the University of Minnesota St. Paul campus, will be announced in the coming weeks.
Jalali announced her resignation in a Facebook post on Jan. 24, where she said she did not make her decision lightly.
“It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve the residents of Saint Paul these last nearly seven years, both as a Councilmember and now Council President,” Jalali said in the post. “Today, I share the news that I have made the difficult decision to prioritize my health and begin a transition out of City Hall.”
Jalali was first elected to the City Council in a special election in 2018 and was elected city council president by the other council members in Jan. 2024. Before being elected, she worked for current Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison during his time as a representative in Congress.
Jalali said in the post that she realized her health was being negatively impacted by her work while running for reelection in late 2023.
“I struggled deeply with that reality, pushing ahead through a groundbreaking year while shouldering new responsibilities,” Jalali said in the post. “I stayed in the work the same way I have for the last nearly seven years, no matter the level of stress or emergency, because our community needs us to be our best, and because I love our city.”
In a statement, Noecker said she was grateful for Jalali’s leadership over the past year.
“She has been a driving force for positive change, and she will be dearly missed,” Noecker said. “I deeply appreciate my colleagues’ support as I take on this new role, and I look forward to continuing our work to build a more resilient, vibrant, and inclusive Saint Paul.”
Moving forward, the council plans to continue to work on projects that will benefit the city, Noecker said in the statement.
“I will work hard every day to make sure our Council is fully equipped to pass good policy and fight for the interests of our constituents, especially in a time of uncertainty in federal and state government,” Noecker said in the statement.
In her Facebook post, Jalali recapped much of the work she accomplished while in office, including fighting the first Trump administration’s immigration policies, working to improve affordable housing efforts and helping coordinate the city’s COVID-19 response.
“Inclusion and equity are not words, but a public policy agenda that I dedicated my work for nearly seven years to make a reality in Saint Paul,” Jalali said in the post.
In 2024, four newly elected members joined the council, forming the first all-woman city council in St. Paul’s history, most of which were women of color.
The impact of Jalali’s work will continue to guide the council as leadership changes, a joint statement from the council said. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter will begin the search for an interim council member for Ward 4 after Jalali’s last council meeting this week.
In the post, Jalali said she is looking forward to a healthier future.
“I will be proud for the rest of my life to have been part of our Council,” Jalali said in the post. “And I know my colleagues will carry the torch forward in their work ahead with the foundation we’ve built in our first year together.”
