Omar Fateh Wins Minneapolis DFL Mayoral Endorsement
Omar Fateh is very very bad news (unless you are Zohran Mamdani). Best of luck to Minneapolis. They're going to need it.
Omar Fateh, a 35-year-old democratic socialist and Minnesota state senator, secured the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party endorsement for mayor of Minneapolis on Saturday, defeating incumbent Jacob Frey in a contentious convention at the Target Center. The decision, the first DFL mayoral endorsement in 16 years, really shows a progressive shift in the city’s Democratic base as it faces serious housing, policing, and economic challenges.
Fateh, the first Somali-American and Muslim in the Minnesota Senate, won at least 60% of delegate votes in a visual tally of raised badges, prompted by a motion from City Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai. The vote followed a walkout by many Frey supporters, sparking quorum disputes and accusations of procedural flaws. Frey’s campaign manager, Sam Schulenberg, called the process “irregular” and vowed to appeal to the state DFL, arguing that Minneapolis’s 100,000-plus voters should decide the November 4 election.
Fateh, representing south Minneapolis since 2020, campaigned on raising the minimum wage to $20 by 2028, implementing rent stabilization, banning police cooperation with ICE, and expanding affordable housing through density and progressive taxation. His legislative record includes securing tuition-free college for low-income students and higher wages for rideshare drivers. However, controversies linger, including returned donations tied to the Feeding Our Future fraud and an ethics probe over undisclosed campaign payments.
Frey, a moderate serving since 2018, has clashed with progressives over vetoes on wage ordinances and police reform. Despite losing the endorsement, he remains a strong contender, citing his 2017 and 2021 victories. Other candidates, including Rev. DeWayne Davis and Jazz Hampton, are also in the race, with the DFL primary set for August 12.
Fateh’s win, buoyed by groups like the Democratic Socialists of America, mirrors national progressive gains, such as Zohran Mamdani’s recent New York City mayoral primary upset. Critics, including conservative commentators, warn of economic risks from Fateh’s policies, while supporters see a bold vision for equity. The appeal and upcoming election promise a heated battle for Minneapolis’s future.