The American Dream, realized
Kaohly Her was born in a bamboo hut in the mountains of Laos. Her family came to the United States as refugees when she was just three years old.
They lived in Illinois and Wisconsin before settling in Minnesota. Her parents had well-paying union jobs that allowed them to buy a house, provide high-quality education to her and her sister, and break the cycle of poverty in one generation.
That’s not to say life was easy for her family. When times were tough, they relied on government support to feed their family. Kaohly even had to put off medical care for a kidney disease in her teens due to a lack of health insurance.
Everyone should have those same opportunities to get ahead, and a strong safety net to fall back on when they need it. Unfortunately, Donald Trump is ripping away that American Dream for future generations.
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she met her husband, Kaohly followed her family back to Minnesota and put down roots in Saint Paul. Kaohly also earned an MBA from Northeastern University and is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of St Thomas.
She worked for fifteen years in the financial services industry, providing budget analytics. She was then able to take on the role of stay-at-home mom for her two now adult children.
When she returned to the workforce, Kaohly worked for the Saint Paul Public Schools as their Board Administrator before joining Melvin Carter’s first administration as Policy Director, leading many of his initiatives.
Rep Her Era
She has served in numerous leadership positions, including as Majority Whip and Speaker Pro Tempore for Speaker Melissa Hortman. She most recently co-chaired the powerful House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee. I am so proud to be a part of the Legislature that passed landmark legislation, such as:
- Established Paid Family and Medical Leave,
- Guaranteed workers’ Earned Sick and Safe Time,
- Legalized Marijuana,
- Banned PFAS “forever chemicals”,
- Made Minnesota a Trans Refuge State,
- Tied the education funding formula to inflation,
- Banned straw purchases of firearms,
- Guaranteed free school lunches for children across the state, and
- Many, many more achievements for all Minnesotans and St. Paulites
Now, she is running to take her vast experience in building relationships and getting things done in the private and public sectors to lead Saint Paul into a bright and prosperous future!