Corey SchmidtSt. Cloud Times
ST. CLOUD — Two Somali-born candidates are running for St. Cloud City Council seats. The two candidates, Omar Podi and Hudda Ibrahim, are joined by the Center for African Immigrants and Refugees Organization, or CAIRO, in their efforts to diversity city council.
“It’s crucial for a community to have representation that reflects its diverse population,” Hudda Ibrahim said. “If elected, I promise to listen to all perspectives and be available to all constituents in St. Cloud.”
Some Somali advocates like CAIRO Program Manager Abdi Ibrahim, with no familial relation to Hudda Ibrahim, believe Somali interests are getting lost in local politics. He argues that since the city council lacks official Somali input, its scope doesn’t always consider the needs of Somali-born residents. This lack of representation, he says, also affects other areas of city governance, citing there being no official partnership between the city and CAIRO.
Somali candidates have run for public office in St. Cloud before. In 2020, Podi ran for the St. Cloud Area School District Board of Education, finishing with about 8% of the vote.
Podi is optimistic about this year’s election. He believes the Somali community has built a larger presence in St. Cloud and has better assimiliated into the community, which will favor his city council campaign compared to his school board run four years ago.
Abdi Ibrahim shares Podi’s optimism, noting that St. Cloud pushed against racial and Islamophobic remarks in the past. He cites the local organization Concerned Community Citizens, or C-Cubed, as an example. C-Cubed, which formed in 2017 in opposition to the influx of East African Muslim refugees, successfully campaigned two of its four candidates onto the city council in 2018.
“We have a lot of good folks within the community who pushed against that movement,” Abdi Ibrahim said. “St. Cloud rejected that hate in totality, and a lot of folks did great work. That's why we don't have that environment today.”
St. Cloud demographics have changed
Since 2000, St. Cloud's Black population has increased by more than 850%, rising from slightly less than 1,400 in the 2000 census to a little more than 13,000 in 2020.
This growing Black population in St. Cloud is accompanied by a decrease in white residents. The city’s white population has declined by 5,000 people since 2000, dropping from about 90% of the total population to roughly 70% in 2020. Despite these changes, the city council remains predominantly white.
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Despite past challenges in St. Cloud’s Somali immigrant relations, both Hudda Ibrahim and Podi express their love for the city, saying it's full of great people. Hudda Ibrahim credits St. Cloud for giving her the opportunity to pursue her educational goals; she is currently earning her doctorate in educational leadership at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.
“St. Cloud has given countless opportunities to me and my family, and I want to repay that in any way possible,” Hudda Ibrahim said.
Podi also appreciates the city for providing a safe, welcoming environment where he can live among people with a similar background as him — something he didn’t experience when he first arrived in the United States and was one of only a few Somali immigrants in New Haven, Connecticut.
“The city of St. Cloud has great people, and they took time to get to know me as Omar Podi the person beyond (my demographic background),” Podi said.
Both candidates came to the U.S. to escape Somalia's civil unrest, which began in the 1990s.
"I love my country," Hudda Ibrahim said. "I feel safe and a sense of belonging here (in the U.S.)."
The need for affordable housing and jobs in St. Cloud
Both Hudda Ibrahim and Podi have housing and economic development on their minds. If elected, they aim to increase St. Cloud’s housing stock and create pathways to homeownership. Podi believes that increasing homeownership will lead to long-term investment in the city from its residents.
Hudda Ibrahim plans to collaborate with local developers to increase St. Cloud’s housing stock. She emphasizes that housing needs to be both available and obtainable. This resonates with Abdi Ibrahim, who points out that many Muslim families struggle to buy homes due to the Quran prohibiting one to pay or receive financial interest, which makes traditional home loans inaccessible for many Somali immigrants.
Currently, Hudda Ibrahim is working with local stakeholders to identify potential solutions to improve St. Cloud's housing stock. Meanwhile, Abdi Ibrahim suggests the city consider opening up a land trust to better accommodate the growing immigrant population.
Land trusts are typically managed by a nonprofit organization or board under a written agreement. These governing bodies often limit how much a property owner can increase the price of their homes when reselling, often capping it at the cost of inflation to keep long-term home prices affordable.
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Podi and Hudda Ibrahim also want to help generate jobs. St. Cloud’s workforce took a hit when Electrolux left town, and the economic impact is still being felt.
Hudda Ibrahim, who owns a staffing and recruiting company called Filsan Talent Partners, wants to focus on local businesses. She believes empowering small businesses will provide long-term sustainability and revitalize downtown St. Cloud. She currently serves on the Mayor’s Downtown Task Force.
More information on Hudda Ibrahim, Podi, and the other city council candidates will be published by the St. Cloud Times in the weeks leading up to the election. Those vying for St. Cloud's three vacating seats include Hudda Ibrahim, Podi, incumbent George Hontos, Scott Brodeen, Tami Calhoun, Patrick Crooks, Alex Cutchey, Bill Doll, Mindy Ellingson, Charlie Hobbs, Lenora Hunt, Mark Johnson, Nicholas Lengyel, Emmanuel Oppong, Michael Peterson and Garrett Zimmerman. Stay tuned at sctimes.com.
Corey Schmidt covers local government for the St. Cloud Times. He can be reached at cschmidt@gannett.com.
