Why I'm Running

Dear neighbor,

My name is Mitra Jalali, and for the past four years I’ve had the privilege and honor to be your Councilwoman. I’m the proud daughter of immigrants from Iran and South Korea, our Council’s first renter and now a first-time homeowner, a former social studies teacher, community organizer and policy aide who has committed my entire life to public service. I’m running to keep leading progress for everyone in Saint Paul on the City Council.

In my time as a Councilwoman, I’m so proud of the impact we’ve made through working with our community:

Together, we’ve tackled the housing crisis from every angle. I supported thousands of new homes at all affordability levels across Ward 4 and Saint Paul, including a $74M investment in deeply affordable housing. I helped win and defend a rent stabilization policy that will protect our neighbors from predatory rent hikes, making us the strongest tenant protections city in the Midwest. I helped create a model city-county encampment response team that supports people in place while helping them secure permanent housing, reducing homelessness citywide.

Together, we’ve stepped up for climate action. I pushed our city to take huge steps toward the vision and goals of our city Climate Action Plan, including building 28 new miles of safer bike infrastructure, fully eliminating parking minimums in new development and serving on the Transportation Advisory Board for better public transit.

Together, we’ve supported our neighborhoods and businesses through a pandemic and civil unrest. In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police, resulting righteous anger, pain and unrest that rocked our neighborhoods, together we organized millions of dollars to rebuild local businesses and help people in need.

Together, we designed our city’s first community-led public safety system. I led the work on the Council to make Saint Paul a model city using a comprehensive public safety approach, including creating an Office of Neighborhood Safety that houses a wider range of programs beyond solely traditional police so we can better help people in crisis, increase community stability, and prevent gun violence.

I have led the fight at the City Council for each one of these accomplishments and more. I’ve been able to do this because you elected me not just once, but twice, to stand up tall, speak loudly and share our ambitious vision for a brighter future - and to work tirelessly with you to make it a reality.

I’m running to keep building on this progress for our shared future. We must scale up our community safety system with more investments in people, instead of just reacting to the breakdowns. We must urgently build Saint Paul’s resilience in the climate crisis, support clean energy and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. We must uphold strong rent stabilization, keep building homes at all income levels, and maximize major development opportunities citywide. We must combat displacement of our neighborhood businesses and workers through labor protections and community ownership. To achieve all of this, we need strong and equitable city services – from our streets and bikeways to our parks, rec centers, libraries and more.

I’m proud to have been a strong force for change on our City Council. My work with you has helped put the policies and investments in place that make those “All Are Welcome” signs true for everyone – not just a message. I am excited to hear your ideas and hopes for the future, and I hope to earn your vote again.

Sincerely,
Mitra