Minnesota state Sen. Omar Fateh, a far-left contender for Minneapolis mayor often compared to New York City’s socialist leader Zohran Mamdani, has fallen short in his bid to transform Minneapolis into a progressive stronghold.
The Associated Press called the race for incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey on Wednesday afternoon after the final round of ranked-choice voting (RCV) tabulations confirmed Frey’s victory.
In the initial round of voting, Frey secured 41.7% of the vote compared to Fateh’s 31.6%, with the remaining ballots divided among other candidates, according to AP results. After all ranked-choice preferences were counted, Frey finished with 53.0% to Fateh’s 47.0%.
Frey, an establishment-backed Democrat seeking a third term, faced a crowded field of 14 challengers, several of whom criticized him for not being progressive enough. His victory marks a significant setback for the Democratic Party’s far-left faction, even as socialists celebrated Mamdani’s major win in New York City.
The campaign drew involvement from some of Minnesota’s most prominent political figures. Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic Party’s unsuccessful 2024 vice-presidential nominee, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar both endorsed Frey for re-election. Meanwhile, Rep. Ilhan Omar, who represents Minneapolis in Congress, threw her support behind Fateh.
Under Minneapolis’s ranked-choice voting system, several progressive candidates urged supporters to rank one another to consolidate left-wing votes and oust Frey.
Fateh, who is of Somali descent, would have become the city’s first Muslim mayor. He drew national attention in August after stating that one of his top priorities as mayor would be protecting undocumented immigrants from what he called a “hostile federal government.”
Political observers dubbed him the “Midwest Mamdani,” noting his ideological alignment and shared background with the newly elected New York City mayor. Both socialist politicians have previously called for defunding the police, imposing higher taxes on the wealthy, and have been outspoken critics of Israel.
One of Fateh’s most controversial campaign proposals involved diverting half of all 911 calls to “non-police responders.” He also supported a 2021 ballot initiative to defund the Minneapolis Police Department and replace it with a new corps of “peace officers.”
Frey, in contrast, has consistently argued that the city needs more police officers, not fewer. He publicly praised the Minneapolis Police Department earlier this year for surpassing 600 sworn officers in June.
“Here’s the truth: We also need more police officers to be able to handle these situations,” Frey said. “When you have fewer officers per capita than nearly any city in the country, you need to do the work necessary to increase that.”
Frey notably led Minneapolis through the Black Lives Matter riots following George Floyd’s death, a period marked by a sharp rise in violent crime and a wave of police resignations. Despite relentless pressure from the far left to defund or abolish the police, Frey has managed to maintain power and rebuild parts of the city’s law enforcement infrastructure.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, Minnesota’s highest-ranking Republican, warned ahead of the election that a Fateh victory would unleash “pro-illegal alien, communist chaos” on the city, during an interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation in August.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan news service, is free for publication by legitimate outlets that reach large audiences. Republishing must include the DCNF logo, the reporter’s byline, and DCNF attribution. For partnership or licensing inquiries, contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
