Jim Vue, who has been serving as a St. Paul school board member on an interim basis, won the race Tuesday to fill the seat for the coming year, according to unofficial returns.

The Hmong parent and cultural educator was among six candidates seeking to complete the term of the late board Chairwoman Marny Xiong, who died of COVID-19.

He finished ahead of Jamila Mame, an organizer of women of color for TakeAction Minnesota, who was endorsed by the St. Paul Federation of Educators (SPFE).

The SPFE nod typically is a difference maker in school board elections. The union not only honored Mame, but also published letter grades for the candidates giving her its only "A" and Vue an "F." The knock on Vue was his opposition to the union's push for a moratorium on new and expanded charter schools in St. Paul.

Charlotte "Charlie" Castro, James Farnsworth, Keith Hardy and Omar Syed also ran for the seat.

Vue is a program facilitator at In Progress, a digital arts nonprofit, and has served on the board since August. He said Wednesday he plans to run again next year for a full four-year term.

Seats now held by Jeanelle Foster and John Brodrick will also be up for election in 2021.

Anthony Lonetree