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POLITICS

Former St. Joseph mayor, St. John's University graduate named Minnesota DFL chair

Portrait of Corey Schmidt Corey Schmidt
St. Cloud Times
  • Richard Carlbom, a former mayor of St. Joseph and graduate of St. John's University, has been named the new chair of the Minnesota DFL party.
  • Carlbom, who served as St. Joseph's mayor from 2005 to 2010, replaces Ken Martin, who held the position for 14 years.
  • Carlbom aims to establish an off-year organizing team for early local initiative development and expand the DFL Rapid Response War Room for enhanced messaging.
  • Having served as Governor Tim Walz's deputy chief of staff since March 2023, Carlbom brings experience from Walz's congressional campaign and his work with Minnesotans United for All Families.

A former St. Joseph mayor and St. John's University graduate is set to lead Minnesota's DFL party.

The DFL announced Richard Carlbom will be the new DFL chair on Saturday. Carlbom was elected as St. Joseph's mayor in 2004, only months after graduating from college.

"Our DFL coalition is united and ready to fight back and win,” Carlbom said. “Minnesotans are fed up with Donald Trump and Elon Musk, and we are going to help them get involved right now, not two years from now.

Former St. Joseph Mayor Richard Carlbom was named chair of Minnesota's DFL.

St. Joseph's former mayor replaces Ken Martin, who held the role for 14 years. Martin is now the chairperson of the National Democratic Committee.

"I’ve known Richard since he was first elected as Mayor of Saint Joseph," Martin said. "He’s fought for Minnesota families his whole career and — with the Trump Administration coming after communities everywhere — he understands exactly what’s at stake right now."

The new DFL chair is already taking action. Carlbom said he wants to build an off-year organizing team to get local initiatives started early and launch an expanded DFL Rapid Response War Room to spread messaging.

"This is our chance to grow our party and help Minnesotans join the fight for a better future," Carlbom said. "Democrats across the country have looked to the Minnesota DFL as a model for how to win and improve people’s lives, and we are going to build on those successes together."

Carlbom has served as Governor Tim Walz' deputy chief of staff since March 2023. He previously held roles on Walz's congressional campaign and as a campaign manager for Minnesotans United for All Families, where he helped efforts to legalize same-sex marriage in Minnesota.

Corey Schmidt covers politics and courts for the St. Cloud Times. He can be reached at cschmidt@gannett.com.