Cheniqua Johnson was declared the winner of the St. Paul City Council Ward 7 race after all votes were tabulated Friday by the Ramsey County Elections Office.
Johnson won by a slim margin against second-place finisher Pa Der Vang. Results are pending in Ward 1, where Anika Bowie earned about 40 percent of the first-choice vote and James Lo earned about 20 percent.
“I came in really feeling determined to see this through, to sit there patiently waiting for the process to take its hold, and for basically God to do his work,” Johnson said shortly after declaring victory Friday. “Towards the end, you just feel like the work has paid off, and knowing that you left it on the table when you walk into a space is the best feeling in the world, followed by actually winning because of it.”
Pending the vote tabulation for Ward 1, St. Paul could potentially swear in an all-female City Council next year. At the very least, six women will serve on the seven-seat council. The Ward 1 contest between Bowie and Lo is the only race where a male candidate remains a contender, although Bowie had declared victory on election night before the vote recount.
The new City Council will also be composed of six people of color regardless of how votes shake out in Ward 1.
Johnson, 28, is the program officer at the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.
Johnson told Sahan Journal before the election that she’s a first-time homeowner in the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood, and values the sense of community on the East Side.
“I am running to be the next City Council member in Ward 7 to get work done with and for the East Side,” she wrote in response to a pre-election questionnaire from Sahan Journal. “I am running because our city needs capable leaders who reflect our growth, our diversity, and our shared commitment to the East Side. I am running to be the positive, community focused leader that continues to move us forward—together.”
While votes will be tabulated Monday in the Ward 3 race, the male candidate who finished second in first-choice votes, Isaac Russell, has already conceded to Saura Jost. Jost received about 48 percent of the first-choice votes to Russell’s 30 percent.
“I would like to congratulate Saura Jost on her victory,” Russell posted on X, formerly Twitter, about 11:30 p.m. on election night. “Saura is clearly someone who cares deeply about her community. While we don’t agree on several issues, it is important that our community moves forward together. Her success is Ward 3’s and St. Paul’s success.”
Russell asked for a full count on second-choice votes, acknowledging that winning is unlikely.
Incumbents Mitra Jalali, Nelsie Yang, and Rebecca Noecker won reelection in their wards. Newcomer Hwa Jeong Kim won the Ward 5 race by earning about 52 percent of the first-choice vote.
