Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) has announced plans to formally appeal the Minneapolis Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s (DFL) endorsement decision after losing to progressive challenger, state Senator Omar Fateh.
Frey is alleging that the party’s convention process was riddled with serious procedural flaws that undermined its credibility.
The two-term mayor, affiliated with the national Democratic Party, lost the local DFL’s support to Fateh, an outspoken democratic socialist who is campaigning on a more progressive platform.
The endorsement, although not legally binding in Minneapolis’ ranked choice election system, can significantly sway public opinion and boost campaign momentum in the heavily Democratic-leaning city.
According to the Star Tribune, Fateh secured support from over 60% of the delegates during the city convention held Saturday, marking the first time in 16 years that the DFL officially endorsed a mayoral candidate in Minneapolis.
However, the endorsement process was fraught with confusion and technical setbacks. The first round of vote counting took nearly two hours to complete due to technology malfunctions, raising concerns about the legitimacy of the process.
Initial results showed Fateh leading with approximately 44% of the vote, while Frey trailed with around 31.5%. Both emerged as the only viable contenders for the final endorsement.
Efforts to switch to paper ballots were denied, intensifying tensions. Ultimately, the final vote was conducted by a show of hands. Many of Frey’s supporters had already exited the convention by that time, casting further doubt on the fairness of the result.
Frey’s campaign signaled that they will be filing a formal appeal with the state Democratic Party, citing irregularities and disenfranchisement of delegates.
“This election should be decided by the entire city rather than the small group of people who became delegates, particularly in light of the extremely flawed and irregular conduct of this convention,”
Said Sam Schulenberg, Frey’s campaign manager.
“Voters will now have a clear choice between the records and leadership of Sen. Fateh and Mayor Frey. We look forward to taking our vision to the voters in November.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Omar Fateh celebrated the endorsement, framing it as a decisive break from establishment politics.
“This endorsement is a message that Minneapolis residents are done with broken promises, vetoes, and politics as usual,”
Fateh posted on X. “It’s a mandate to build a city that works for all of us.”
As the November election approaches, Minneapolis voters will now face a clear ideological contrast between Frey’s centrist leadership and Fateh’s bold progressive agenda, setting the stage for a highly contested and closely watched mayoral race.
