Minneapolis voters head to the polls on Tuesday, but ranked-choice voting means that the results could take days to finalize. While four candidates were on the debate stage, the race will come down to incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey and challenger Omar Fateh, a democratic socialist.
A Minnesota insider told The Daily Signal that Minneapolis politics split between the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) and democratic socialists. Fateh won the DFL endorsement in July, but Frey’s challenge led the party to withdraw it in August.
Frey’s Record
Frey, a Reformed Jew from Virginia’s D.C. suburbs, became mayor in 2018 after only one city council term. His administration has strengthened mayoral powers, including veto authority, which he used eight times in 2024. Frey vetoed a cease-fire resolution on U.S. aid to Israel post-October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, and a rideshare driver minimum wage Fateh supported.
Frey’s platform opposes Trump-era policies on LGBTQ rights, abortion, and immigration. He pledges 12,000 new housing units and notes a 33 percent drop in unsheltered homelessness since 2020, alongside harm reduction programs that enable drug use. A pro-abortion advocate, he was featured in a 2020 Planned Parenthood campaign.
Post-George Floyd’s 2020 death, Frey resisted on defunding police amid riots Trump criticized him for mishandling. He pushed non-police responses but warned abolition rhetoric spiked crime. In a recent debate, Frey called for more officers and praised community violence interrupters, crediting them for reduced shootings.
Fateh’s Background
Born to Somali immigrants in the D.C. area, Fateh ran unsuccessfully for Virginia school board in 2015. In 2020, he became Minnesota’s first Somali American and Muslim state senator. As a Democratic Socialists of America member, he advocates for higher taxes on the wealthy and environmental justice.
Fateh helped pass the Minnesota State Promise Plan for free college tuition for families under $80,000 income and rideshare driver protections. Critics noted his aggressive tactics on the latter; he absented himself from the Senate for over 10 hours in 2024, stalling proceedings until a compromise could be forced.
The insider described Fateh as a fighter drawing Somali Muslim community support, a influential bloc despite its size. Some members have ties to extremist groups like al-Shabaab, though locals claim to combat radicalism.
In 2023, Fateh threatened to leave the DFL over a lobbyist’s Golda Meir quote he deemed offensive. Like Rep. Ilhan Omar, he leads progressively in the community. His campaign reported threatening graffiti: “Somali Muslim, this warning is no joke,” that is currently under investigation.
On safety, Fateh backed a failed 2020 police overhaul. Now, he promotes alternatives to traditional policing, citing a study showing half of calls could go to non-officers. He vows to meet the 700-officer charter minimum and fund police oversight.
Ranked-Choice System
With 15 candidates, voters rank up to three. If no first-round majority, lower choices redistribute votes, eliminating weak candidates. Fateh allies with Rev. DeWayne Davis and Jazz Hampton, urging supporters to rank them to block Frey.
Conservatives see few options. Minnesota Family Council’s Jeff Evans lamented the progressive shift harming families. This is how every city will be before long if ranked-choice voting becomes the norm.
