Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who presided over the city during the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots, has lost the Democratic Party’s endorsement to a Somali-American socialist, State Senator Omar Fateh, ahead of the 2025 mayoral race.
Fateh, 35, received more than 60% of delegate support at the Minneapolis Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) convention on Saturday, edging out the incumbent after a contentious and chaotic voting process.
The endorsement makes Fateh, a Democratic Socialist, the new standard-bearer for a party that has shifted increasingly far-left in the wake of the riots.
Vote Disputed by Frey’s Team
Voting problems at the DFL convention, held at the Target Center, caused confusion. After technical issues with electronic ballots, delegates resorted to paper ballots and raising badges in the final vote.
Supporters of Frey walked out in protest, aiming to block quorum.
“This election should be decided by the entire city rather than a small group of delegates,” said Frey’s campaign manager Sam Schulenberg. “Particularly in light of the extremely flawed and irregular conduct of this convention.”
Despite objections, Fateh’s nomination stands as a major upset
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