St. Paul native Molly Coleman stepped into the role of city councilmember for Ward 4 on August 27. Stepping into the role of councilmember, she is continuing a family legacy of political involvement as the granddaughter of former state Senator Nick Coleman and daughter of former St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman.
The role of councilmember has been temporarily filled by interim Councilmember Matt Privratsky following the resignation of former Councilmember Mitra Jalali, who stepped down in February of 2025. A special election was held on August 12 to fill the councilmember role. Coleman was elected with a decisive victory against three other candidates.
After growing up in St. Paul, Coleman spent time in Wisconsin and New England, studying at Harvard Law and working at non-profits in New York. However, Coleman’s heart remained in St. Paul, and she returned after several years to work with the community of her childhood.
“My time out of state was valuable, and I loved it. I learned a lot, and I feel very grateful to have had the educational opportunities and whatnot that I did, but I love St. Paul. It has always been home. I love this city very deeply. My family is here, my friends are here. It is truly a world class city here in St. Paul, Minn. So it was never a question. It was always a matter of when, not if,” Coleman said.
The role of a councilmember is not always an easy task. Privatsky acknowledges that Ward 4 needs a particularly solid and consistent representative to help the community move in the direction it is advocating for. “We ask a lot of our council members, it is a very demanding, difficult ward to represent because people are ambitious, they’re caring, and they’re invested in what happens, so you have to be able to meet the passion and the investment of the residents,” Privratsky said.
One of Ward 4’s district councils, the Hamline Midway Coalition (HMC), hopes to collaborate with Coleman to address difficult issues facing the Hamline-Midway. From the deserted CVS on University Ave. and Snelling Ave. to housing issues, HMC Director of Organizing Justin Lewandowski plans to urge a partnership amongst the community. “We have an opportunity to work hand-in-hand with our elected official who lives here in the neighborhood to work together to bring organizations … together to really talk about the housing and opioid crisis alongside economic development and revitalization in a way that’s more holistic and having somebody in that seat now full time and ready to go,” Lewandowski said.
Pritvatsky feels confident in the transition to Coleman and looks forward to seeing the work she can do with the other ward council members.
“I’m really excited for the other council members to get to work with her. I was telling them as soon as Molly won, I was telling everyone at the city council, who at the time, you know, were my coworkers and peers, I just said ‘you guys are going to love working with her because she is so capable, but she is such a solid partner’,” Privratsky said.
Coleman plans to create opportunities to connect with the community in meaningful ways and create tangible change for her constituents. Rather than getting wrapped up in the ever attention demanding national politics, Coleman hopes to emphasize the difference local government can make in their constituents' daily lives.
“Sometimes when you get stuck at the national level, it can feel like you are shooting into the void. I never want people to feel like they are shouting into the void here in St. Paul. I want people to know that if they come into our office, if they come to city hall with something that they are struggling with, we will do everything within our power to make that situation better,” Coleman said.
