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St. Paul City Council President Mitra Jalali announced on Facebook Friday afternoon that she will step down from the council.

She represents Ward 4, which includes the neighborhoods of Hamline-Midway, Merriam Park, St. Anthony Park, and parts of Macalester-Groveland and Como. 

She has served on the council since 2018.

In her post, Jalali said she wants to focus on her physical and mental health. 

“Rarely, if ever, are women of color in leadership positions allowed to show the impact on their health of the constant stressors of public leadership,” she wrote. “I am following the leadership of Simone Biles and taking a step back, because continuing through injury is unsafe in the short term and unsustainable for the long haul. It is important for me to live out the truth that powerful women of color do have limits, are not superhuman and will not break themselves in the name of the work continuing.”

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Jalali was sworn in as president of the all-female St. Paul City Council last January. In 2018, she was the first Iranian American elected official in Minnesota. She also became the first Asian American woman and first openly LGBTQ+ member of the council. 

The day after the historic council was sworn in, she told MPR News about the emotional day.

“The number of people who cried yesterday, who told me that they cried, women who told me that they’ve just never seen anything like this in their lifetime, moms who brought their young girls — just so many young women in the audience, just so many people of all backgrounds, I felt overjoyed,” Jalali said.

Her final council meeting will be Feb. 5. The other council members will work to appoint an interim council member for Ward 4 through a public process in the weeks following. A special election will follow, as Jalali’s current term was set to end in 2028.

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After nearly seven years with the city, St. Paul council member and president Mitra Jalali has decided to step down. She says she is focusing on prioritizing her mental and physical health.

A woman raises her hand as she is sworn in

Ben Hovland | MPR News

Seven women celebrate on a stage as a man claps

St. Paul City Council President Mitra Jalali announces resignation, citing health concerns

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