Sunday November 3, 2024
By Corey Schmidt
Somali-American candidates Hudda Ibrahim and Omar Podi, vying for seats on the St. Cloud City Council, bring community-focused visions to the forefront of the 2024 election.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (HOL) — As the November 5 election approaches, St. Cloud’s political landscape is poised for change. Six candidates are competing for three at-large seats on the city council, and among them are Hudda Ibrahim and Omar Podi, two Somali-American leaders committed to tackling the city’s pressing issues and representing its diverse population.
Hudda Ibrahim has long been woven into the fabric of St. Cloud’s civic initiatives. Known for her work on the Mayor’s Downtown Task Force, the “Dine and Dialogue” program aimed at fostering community cohesion, and her service on the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce board, Ibrahim has built a reputation as a bridge-builder.
At 39, she aims to bring her skills to the city council, with a platform focused on economic development, housing, and downtown revitalization. Ibrahim’s commitment to private-public partnerships forms the backbone of her vision. “I can bring value to the city council and create a strategic, sustainable plan for our neighbours,” she said, emphasizing strategies that support small businesses and bolster community safety.
Ibrahim proposes flexible infrastructure policies to attract developers and revised zoning to allow for higher-density housing projects. She also sees potential in redeveloping downtown spaces that could become available if Stearns County relocates its justice center. “This opens up a prime opportunity for the public and private sectors to come together and redevelop that area so we can build innovative housing,” she noted.
Her qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in English literature and conflict resolution from the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University, a master’s in conflict resolution from the University of Notre Dame, and completed doctoral coursework at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.
The six candidates competing for three at-large seats in the 2024 St. Cloud City Council election, showcasing the diverse range of backgrounds and ideas shaping the race.
Meanwhile, Omar Podi, who arrived in St. Cloud in 2011, seeks to bring a long-missing voice to the city council — that of the East African community. “The community is growing up, and they don’t have any representation at all from the city of St. Cloud,” Podi said, emphasizing the need for inclusive leadership.
Podi’s platform prioritizes addressing St. Cloud’s housing crisis, which is projected to require 17,000 additional units over the next 15 years. “We need land to build,” he stated, advocating for proactive policies that facilitate land use and promote development.
As the owner of IFIYE Wireless Shop and a translator for government documents, Podi is familiar with the challenges facing small businesses and immigrant communities. His approach to economic development calls for working closely with city officials to stimulate job growth, especially after losses like those from the closure of the Electrolux plant. “We need to focus on economic development and bringing more jobs here,” he said.
Podi’s previous run for the St. Cloud Area School District Board of Education in 2020, where he earned 8% of the vote, underscores his enduring commitment to public service.
The candidacies of Ibrahim and Podi are emblematic of St. Cloud’s shifting demographics and the city’s embrace of broader representation.