Kaohly Vang Her is an American politician and member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party *. Born on June 18, 1973, in a bamboo hut in the mountains of Laos to a Hmong family, she arrived in the United States as a refugee in 1977 at age four, initially settling in Appleton, Wisconsin, before living in Illinois and Minnesota. She previously represented *Minnesota House District 64A from 2019 to 2025, winning reelection in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024 with strong margins. Since 2026, she serves as the 56th mayor of Saint Paul, becoming the first woman and first Asian American in that role after winning election on November 4, 2025. Notable achievements include being one of the first two Hmong American women elected to the Minnesota House , the first Hmong American woman in House leadership as majority whip , and co-founder of Maiv-PAC, the nation's first Hmong American political action committee. She served on key committees like Health Finance and Policy, Legacy Finance, State and Local Government, and chaired the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement; she is a member of the Minnesota Asian Pacific Caucus and House People of Color and Indigenous Caucus.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: B.B.A. in Finance from University of Wisconsin-Madison; attended graduate school in Education Leadership at University of St. Thomas; M.B.A. in International Management from Northeastern University.
• Political Experience: Policy director in the Office of St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter prior to her House tenure; authored police reform bills post-George Floyd murder , supported incentives for diverse police hiring, and sponsored HF601 requiring firearm loss/theft reporting within 48 hours. Organized for equitable education, affordable healthcare, and criminal justice reform in District 64A.