Melvin Whitfield Carter III (born January 8, 1979) is an American politician who is the mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota.

He also was an adjunct faculty member at University of Minnesota-Duluth, teaching graduate-level classes on campaigns and elections.

[10] As a city council member, Carter helped create the Department of Human Rights & Equal Economic Opportunity.

[10] In 2010, he established the Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood, which brought together the community and government to promote better education quality in schools.

In 2011 he received a Barbara Jordan Leadership Award from the National Young Elected Officials Network.

This program was directed toward low- and middle-income residents and provided them with stabilized and affordable housing options.

[23] Library staff showed Carter the number of St. Paul cardholders unable to check out books due to late fees, which brought about the decision to cancel.

Each child gets $50 into a savings account meant for higher education; parents can add more money throughout their lives.

[25][26] A one-time safety aid provided by the state legislature gives Carter $13.6 million, of which he proposes that half go to gun violence initiatives and half to the fire and police departments and recreational facilities to improve safety measures.

[25][26] In November 2023, St. Paul voters approved a sales tax increase Carter had proposed to improve road conditions.

[25][27] Carter also proposed that remaining federal COVID relief funds be used to reduce citizens' medical debt[25][26] and provide free swimming lessons for children under 10.

He fought for a $15 minimum wage, development of the Green Line, and helping open new businesses while removing barriers to investment.

He also rallied against a federal immigration policy, and aimed to decriminalize mental health and addiction issues.