The city of Saint Paul, Minnesota held an election on November 2, 2021, to elect the mayor. It was held with ranked-choice voting, and there was no primary election. Few candidates filed to challenge incumbent mayor Melvin Carter III, and he easily won a second term with over 60% of first-preference votes.
Incumbent Mayor Melvin Carter III announced he would seek a second term as mayor on January 26, 2021. During his first term, Mayor Carter presided over the unrest in the Twin Cities after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis; making policing and public safety top of mind for voters in Saint Paul. Additionally, voters were concerned about issues like homelessness, a possible recession, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Carter campaigned on achievements like an initiative to provide newborns with a college savings account, a pilot program that distributed guaranteed income for some low-income families, and rethinking public safety. Despite entering the race unopposed, Carter was facing several opponents by the close of the filing deadline on August 10, 2021.
In total, Carter faced seven challengers, including: Paul Langenfeld, vice president of the Board of Directors of Highland District Council and founder of a non-profit that caters to people with disabilities; Dino Guerin, former St. Paul District Fire Chief St. Paul City Councilman and Ramsey County commissioner; Dora Jones-Robinson, the executive director of Mentoring Young Adults and founder of Guns Down St. Paul; Miki Frost, father of five and founder of "Truce Center"; Scott Wergin, a contractor; Bill Hosko, a downtown coffee shop proprietor art gallery owner and architectural illustrator; and Abu Nayeem, a data analyst who had previously run for St. Paul City Council in 2019.
Most of Carter's opponents supported lowering crime rates and implementing better social systems in the city of St. Paul.
Carter's opponents failed to match him in endorsementsâÂÂthe mayor won the Saint Paul Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party's endorsement on July 18, 2021, as well as endorsements from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy FlannaganâÂÂbut Paul Langenfeld was able to self-finance his campaign to match Mayor Carter's.