St. Paul’s First Hmong city council member, Dai Thao, sworn in
Dai Thao, St. Paul’s first Hmong city council member, vowed to represent all residents of Ward 1, one of the city’s most diverse.
Thao, an information technology manager and community organizer, was sworn in Thursday in front of a city council chamber crowd that reflected that diversity. Surrounded by his family, he gave an emotional speech about his struggles with poverty, his vision of St. Paul as a livable city and his determination to protect “the weak from the strong, the vulnerable from the powerful.”
And although he and the city leaders gathered to usher him onto the council spoke of his election as a historic moment for the Hmong community, Thao stressed he would look out for all constituents.
“I want to make it clear I am here for all communities,” he said, adding, “Our diversity is our strength.”
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Thao, the father of three, has worked on the legislative election campaigns of Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidates. He was also active with efforts to defeat the state’s voter-ID and marriage amendments. He has organized for TakeAction Minnesota, the liberal advocacy group, and ISAIAH, a faith-based social justice coalition.
