A ballot recount confirmed Kelly Miller’s victory in the District 7 Ramsey County commissioner race Thursday.

Prior to the recount, Miller had won the race with a 28-vote lead over opponent Sarah K. Yang in the Nov. 5 election.

Following the recount, which began Tuesday, election officials put Miller at a total of 15,435 votes to Yang’s 15,404, with 10 ballots challenged by the two candidates. The county canvassing board, which meets Dec. 4, will rule on the challenged ballots and certify the recount results.

Arden Hills race

A recount also was done this week for the Arden Hills City Council race between Kurt Weber and David Radziej. That recount concluded that Weber received 2,045 votes and Radziej received 2,041, a one-vote increase for Radziej from the Nov. 5 election. No ballots were challenged in the recount. The Arden Hills City Council will canvass those results on Nov. 25.

The county District 7 seat represents Maplewood, North St. Paul and White Bear Lake. Ramsey County Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt, who is the second-longest serving member of the Ramsey County Board, announced in August of 2023 she would not seek reelection after seven terms. Reinhardt was first elected to the board in 1996.

Miller is the director of the Department of Indian Work at Interfaith Action of Greater St. Paul. Priorities for Miller include strengthening social services and environmental sustainability. Commissioners serve four-year terms.

Other Ramsey County races

Incumbent Mary Jo McGuire in District 2 and newcomer Tara Jebens-Singh in District 1 each ran uncontested in the Nov. 5 election.

The District 1 seat is currently held by Nicole Frethem, whose term expires end of December and who decided not to run for reelection.

Meanwhile, District 3 Commissioner Trista Martinson, whose original term expired at the end of 2026, left the board in August to lead Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy. Martinson had represented the district since 2019 and served as board chair starting in 2022. District 3 includes Falcon Heights and several of St. Paul’s northern neighborhoods, including St. Anthony Park, Como Park, South Como, the North End, Hamline-Midway, Frogtown and Payne-Phalen.

The race for District 3 will be decided by special election on Feb. 11.

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