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Hudda Ibrahim becomes first Somali American to serve on St. Cloud City Council

December 6, 2024

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Hudda Ibrahim Oath of Office on Dec 2 2024_Mshale Feature — Retiring St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis administers the oath of office to Hudda Ibrahim on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024 after the City Council unanimously voted to appoint her to represent Ward 3 to replace the current representative Jake Anderson who is now Mayor-elect. She becomes the first Black and Somali American to serve on the council. Photo: GovTV 181 Screengrab

The St. Cloud City Council on Monday, after interviewing nine candidates, appointed Somali-born Hudda Ibrahim to represent Ward 3 replacing Councilmember Jake Anderson who won his election for Mayor in November. Ibrahim will serve the rest of Anderson’s term which was to end in 2026.

Mayor-elect Anderson, who doesn’t take office until January, resigned his council seat after his mayoral win to give time to the city council to start the process of appointing a replacement.

Ibrahim’s appointment, which was unanimous, makes her the first Black person to serve on the council as well as the first Somali. Blacks in the central Minnesota city of 68,000 comprise 18 percent of the population, according to the research nonprofit Minnesota Compass.

Ibrahim and husband Abdi Mahad have been St. Cloud residents for 19 years.

Councilmember Hudda Ibrahim takes her seat on the St. Cloud City Council minutes after taking the oath of office on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024 after the City Council unanimously voted to appoint her to represent Ward 3 to replace the current representative Jake Anderson, who is now Mayor-elect. She becomes the first Black and Somali American to serve on the council. Photo: Courtesy of Xidig TV

She was on the ballot in November with five other candidates to fill one of three at-large Council seats but was unsuccessful, coming in fifth with 13 percent of the vote.

An author, academic and businesswoman, she has been an instructor at St. Cloud Technical and Community College for 10 years and has served on numerous boards. She has served on the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce, The Central Minnesota Community Foundation and a stint on the Mayor’s Downtown St. Cloud Task Force, which is working on the revitalization of downtown.

She brings some massive brainpower to the council. She has a master’s degree in Conflict Resolution from the University of Notre Dame. She has two bachelor’s degrees from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University – in conflict resolution and English literature respectively. As part of her continuing education, she has a human resource certificate from Cornell University in New York. She just recently completed coursework for her doctorate degree in education and leadership from Saint Mary’s University.

St. Cloud Mayor David Kleis, who has been mayor for 20 years and is retiring, administered the oath of office to Ibrahim. Shortly after takeing the oath, she took her seat on the council and cast her first vote to cancel a Dec. 9 council meeting that was deemed no longer necessary.