Voters navigate crowded race in Minneapolis mayoral election

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(The Center Square) – Just one week until Election Day, Minneapolis voters are choosing between 15 different candidates to fill the seat as the city’s mayor for the next four years.

Incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey hopes to win the seat for a third time, though three other candidates have also broken through as frontrunners. Those include minister DeWayne Davis, state Sen. Omar Fateh and businessman Jazz Hampton.

Minneapolis uses of ranked-choice voting, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference rather than choosing just one. For the mayoral race, voters will select their top three candidates.

All four frontrunners are members of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which is a Minnesota-specific political party affiliated with the national Democrat Party.

Though all members of the same party, the election has still had its share of political drama.

In July, Fateh officially received the endorsement of the DFL with the support of more than 60% of its delegates. Yet, Frey and others challenged that endorsement, citing flaws in the voting system. That eventually led to the party revoking its endorsement, meaning that the DFL is currently not endorsing any candidate.

Though early voting started Sept. 19, the frontrunners have participated in a number of debates over the past few weeks. The most recent was Monday night, when candidates differed over approaches to issues like public safety and the minimum wage.

All four agreed that the police need more resources, which is notable in light of the "defund the police" movement and the riots that rocked Minneapolis in 2020 during the George Floyd protests. Thousands of buildings were damaged in the riots, resulting in about $350 million in damages.

As mayor, Frey has launched a “violence interpreter” program. He said, if elected for a third term, he hopes to expand that program, while still “arresting perpetrators of violent crime.”

Hampton said the police department is “woefully understaffed,” while Davis focused on the need for more studies on effective implementation and Fateh pointed to poverty as a root issue. He called for a “livable wage” and ���an ambitious youth agenda” to address crime.

Fateh has also set himself apart as the only candidate in the race that has endorsed the city adopting a $20 minimum wage by 2028.

“One job should be enough,” Fateh said during the Monday night debate. “Every single person deserves to have a livable wage period, no matter the worker.”

Frey has received a number of significant endorsement from Democrat leaders, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the 2024 former vice president candidate.

“Jacob has helped make Minneapolis a national leader on issues like housing, and I've been proud to work with him to deliver funding to hire more police officers and fight violent crime,” Walz said. “I am proud to support Mayor Frey's reelection so that we can continue working together to move Minneapolis into the future.”