Melvin Carter (politician)
Melvin Whitfield Carter III (born January 8, 1979) is an American politician who is the mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota.[1] Elected to his first term in 2017 and reelected in 2021, Carter is the 55th mayor of St. Paul and its first African American mayor.[2] During his tenure, he has supported raising the city's minimum wage to $15 per hour, and he is one of 11 U.S. mayors who co-founded Mayors Organized for Reparations and Equity, a coalition of municipal leaders dedicated to starting pilot reparations programs in their cities.
Melvin Carter | |
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55th Mayor of St. Paul | |
Assumed office January 2, 2018 | |
Preceded by | Chris Coleman |
Member of the Saint Paul City Council from the 1st ward | |
In office January 8, 2008 – July 5, 2013 | |
Preceded by | Debbie Montgomery |
Succeeded by | Dai Thao |
Personal details | |
Born | Melvin Whitfield Carter III January 8, 1979 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Sakeena Futrell |
Education | Florida A&M University (BS) University of Minnesota (MPP) |
Website | Government website Campaign website |
Early life and education

Carter was born in Saint Paul's Rondo neighborhood. He is the son of Melvin Whitfield Carter Jr., a retired Saint Paul police officer, and Toni Carter, a Ramsey County commissioner. Carter is a fourth-generation Saint Paul resident. He participated in the University of Minnesota Talented Youth in Mathematics Program (UMTYMP) in junior high and high school, and graduated from Saint Paul Central High School.[3]
Carter earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Florida A&M University. During his time there, he became a brother of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Carter earned a Master of Public Policy from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs of the University of Minnesota.
Career
Carter was a Saint Paul City Council member from 2008 to 2013 and a vice chair of the council. He also was an adjunct faculty member at University of Minnesota-Duluth, teaching graduate-level classes on campaigns and elections.[4]
Mayor of St. Paul
During his tenure as mayor, Carter was instrumental in raising the city's minimum wage to $15 per hour. He also established the Office of Financial Empowerment.[5] He launched CollegeBound Saint Paul, the city's college savings account program,[6] and the People's Prosperity Pilot, a guaranteed income program that gives 150 families $500 per month for 18 months.[7]
Carter also served on the steering committee of the Mayors National Climate Action Agenda, a consortium of American mayors advocating for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2019, he reestablished the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. He managed revitalization efforts of the Saint Paul riverfront, and the conversion of the former Ford Motor Company's Twin Cities Assembly Plant ("Ford site") in Highland Park into a mixed-use housing and retail center.[8] Carter eliminated the practice of collecting late fees at Saint Paul public libraries[9] and spearheaded the Families First Housing Pilot program.
In June 2021, Carter was one of 11 U.S. mayors who formed Mayors Organized for Reparations and Equity (MORE), a coalition of municipal leaders dedicated to starting pilot reparations programs in their cities.[10][11]
Personal life
Carter still lives in the Rondo neighborhood where he was raised, along with his wife, Sakeena Futrell-Carter, and their children.[12]
Elections
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic (DFL) | Melvin Carter III (incumbent) | 36,426 | 61.63 | |
Nonpartisan | Dino Guerin | 7,454 | 12.61 | |
Nonpartisan | Paul Langenfeld | 5,298 | 8.96 | |
Nonpartisan | Bill Hosko | 3,423 | 5.79 | |
Nonpartisan | Dora Jones-Robinson | 2,357 | 3.99 | |
Nonpartisan | Miki Frost | 2,069 | 3.50 | |
Nonpartisan | Abu Nayeem | 1,516 | 2.57 | |
Nonpartisan | Scott Evans Wergin | 355 | 0.60 | |
Write-in | 205 | 0.35 | ||
Total votes | 100.00 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Melvin Carter III | 31,353 | 50.86 | |
Nonpartisan | Pat Harris | 15,281 | 24.79 | |
Nonpartisan | Dai Thao | 7,590 | 12.31 | |
Nonpartisan | Elizabeth Dickinson | 2,927 | 4.75 | |
Nonpartisan | Tom Goldstein | 2,360 | 3.83 | |
Nonpartisan | Other candidates | 2,135 | 3.46 | |
Total votes | 61,646 | 100.00 |
References
- "Melvin Carter sworn in as St. Paul's first new mayor in 12 years; Frey takes office in Minneapolis". Star Tribune. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
- "Melvin Carter elected St. Paul's first African-American mayor". Twincities.com. November 8, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- "About the Mayor". Saint Paul, Minnesota. November 10, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- Drousie, Émile (April 1, 2018). "Melvin Carter (1979- )". Black Past. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "Minimum Wage". Saint Paul, Minnesota. December 18, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "St. Paul set to kickstart a college savings account for every newborn". MinnPost. December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- "EDITORIAL | St. Paul to provide low income families with $500 per month cash payments". Star Tribune. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
- "Ford Site: A 21st Century Community". Saint Paul, Minnesota. October 19, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- Ibrahim, Mohamed. "St. Paul libraries see a boost after going fine-free". Star Tribune. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- "11 U.S. Mayors Commit To Developing Pilot Projects For Reparations," Associated Press (June 18, 2021)
- Derosier, Alex. "What would reparations for slavery look like in Minnesota and the US? St. Paul's push to explore reparations for descendants of Black slaves and victims of discriminatory housing practices represents a newer type of push on the issue," Duluth News Tribune (April 15, 2022).
- Hobbes, Dwight (March 7, 2020). "St. Paul's Mayor Carter rejects simple answers to gun violence". Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- "Index". Election Results. November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
- "MN Election Results". Electionresults.sos.state.mn.us. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
External links
Media related to Melvin Carter (politician) at Wikimedia Commons
- Official mayoral website
- Appearances on C-SPAN