The Ramsey County Board is back at full strength after Garrison McMurtrey was sworn in Tuesday to represent District 3.

McMurtrey won a special election Feb. 11 and is the first Black man to be elected to a county board in Minnesota. Toni Carter was Minnesota's first Black county commissioner when she won a seat on the Ramsey County Board in 2005.

McMurtrey replaces former Board Chair Trista Martinson who resigned last summer to lead Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy.

He had the DFL Party endorsement and said he would focus on economic justice, housing and eliminating disparities. McMurtrey grew up in Mississippi and emphasized his experience in both the public and private sectors during the campaign.

During his ceremonial swearing in Tuesday by District Judge Leonardo Castro, McMurtrey thanked his family, including his wife, state Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten.

"I'm forever grateful for this trust in me and for this opportunity," McMurtrey said "The work ahead of us won't be easy, but it will be necessary."

Renée Jones Schneider, The Minnesota Star Tribune
Garrison McMurtrey hugs his wife, state Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten, DFL-St. Paul, after he was sworn in as a Ramsey County commissioner.

District 3 includes Falcon Heights and the St. Paul neighborhoods of Payne-Phalen, North End, South Como, Como, Frogtown, Hamline-Midway and St. Anthony Park.

The Ramsey County Board has seven members who oversee a nearly $850 million budget and about 4,000 employees. Commissioners earn $104,077 annually, with the board chair making $109,338,

Ramsey County has 536,000 residents and is Minnesota's second-largest county.