Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey Secures Re-Election Victory Against Democratic Socialist Challenger Omar Fateh
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey successfully defended his position against a challenge from Democratic Socialist Omar Fateh in the recent election. Frey gained the most first-place votes, securing 41.8% of the votes, while Fateh came in second with 31.7% in the initial round. The city employs ranked-choice voting, and Frey ultimately secured a majority in the third round of tabulation, with Fateh receiving 44.4% of the votes.
Initially endorsed by the city's Democratic party, Fateh faced opposition from Frey, who contested the endorsement process. This led to the party's Constitution, Bylaws & Rules Committee controversially withdrawing support for Fateh. Despite facing criticism from the city's progressive community for not advocating for defunding the police following George Floyd's death, Frey has demonstrated his commitment to progressive causes during his time in office.
Frey has shown support for undocumented immigrants, declaring Minneapolis a "safe haven" for them and refusing to allow police to inquire about immigration status or arrest individuals for being in the country illegally. Additionally, he defended the transgender community in the aftermath of a mass shooting, condemning hate directed towards them.
Fateh, a young socialist Muslim, proposed policies similar to those of NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, including raising the minimum wage, increasing affordable housing, and advocating for community-led alternatives to some police duties. He also pledged to alert illegal immigrants about planned ICE raids in the city.
Other candidates in the election included Andrea Revel, Troy Peterson, Kevin Ward, Xavier Pauke, Adam Terzich, Kevin A. Dwire, Charlie McCloud, Alejandro Richardson, Laverne Turner, Jeffrey Wagner, DeWayne Davis, Jazz Hampton, and Brenda Short.