Ep:40 A conversation with Kaohly Her and her improbable run for Saint Paul Mayor

This week on the pod: Kaohly Her shares the deeply personal story behind her decision to run for Mayor of Saint Paul, a campaign sparked by the tragic murder of her close friend and colleague, Melissa Hortman.

In this wide-ranging and emotional conversation, she talks about her journey from escaping Laos after the Secret War to becoming a state representative who’s authored and passed major legislation.

Kaohly opens up about how her refugee experience shaped her values, her commitment to public service, and her vision for a Saint Paul that’s experiential, inclusive, and open for business.

We cover it all, from laughs to tears and everything in between, plus a few detours through BoomTimes, the NBA, The Chair Company, Community Ed, Hmong Village, and the glory days of tube televisions.

Don’t miss this honest and inspiring look at leadership, resilience, and the future of Saint Paul.

https://www.kaohlyforstp.com

Questions or comments? Reach us at:
📧 Email: thismustbetheplacepod@gmail.com
📞 Voicemail: 612.234.1889


00:00 Intro and how Casey messed up audio for the first 9 minutes
01:33 Theme Song
02:17 Kaohly Her - income as a litmus test for politics
06:24 Introducing Representative Her,
08:15 Kaohly’s origin story
09:00 FIXED AUDIO - politics is a privilege
10:30 how public schools shaped political future
12:09 RIsk Taker
13:10 What is a Fourteener?
15:30 Hiking a mountain as a life metaphor
16:15 Background as a refugee
19:45 Liberation is tied to one another
21:53 Is Saint Paul Stalled out?
22:38 How do we “unstick”?
26:15 “Either Or” politics.
27:20 St. Paul as a city ready to do business.
29:00 providing needed resources thru snowballing
32:00 how do you get investment in downtown Saint Paul?
35:30 Plan for experiential downtown
37:30 balancing social services with public safety
42:00 Showing up for collaborative work
44:00 Collaborating with School Board
48:45 Dealing with immigration and federal policies around ICE
51:15 Our Police protecting Our residents
54:40 Underdog Story
59:10 Mellisa Hortman’s Murder and why Kaohly is running
01:02:15 Better outcomes thru competition
01:03:40 No Excuses Leading thru Covid, George Floyd and Trumpism
01:08:30 kaohlyforstp.com
01:10:10n BooMTiMeS
01:11:20 Kaohly owns a tube TV with rabbit ears
01:11:51 Live Action with Orchestra “Avatar”
01:12:25 Shohei Ohtani
01:15:10 St Paul Community Ed Hmong Village and Hmong Museum
01:17:55 The Chair Company
01:18:45 The NBA is BACK.
01:20:06 Outro