St. Paul City Council President Amy Brendmoen will not run again

St. Paul City Council Speaker Amy Brendmoen will not be seeking re-election, which means there will be open races for at least two of the capital’s seven legislature seats in 2023.

In a statement Monday, Brendmoen said the “resounding results” achieved by Democrats in the recent election reinforced his decision to step down when his term ends at the end of next year.

“Our community’s strong rejection of division and fear, and its clear unification around service and progress, creates the perfect opportunity for me to pass the torch and make room for new faces,” said she declared.

Brendmoen, 53, has represented St. Paul’s Fifth Ward – which includes parts of the Como, North End, Payne-Phalen and Railroad Island wards – since 2012, when she won a narrow victory over the incumbent council member Lee Helgen. She has been chair of the board since the end of 2017.

His announcement comes four months after former council member Dai Thao resigned from his post representing Ward 1, which includes the Frogtown and Summit-University wards. The board has appointed Russel Balenger to fill this role until the end of next year. In order to qualify for the temporary position, Balenger had to agree not to run for the seat in 2023.

Council members Mitra Jalali, Rebecca Noecker and Nelsie Yang said they would seek re-election. Council members Chris Tolbert and Jane Prince did not immediately respond to questions Monday about their future plans.