Mayoral endorsement drama evokes old debates within Minneapolis DFL
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State Sen. Omar Fateh delivers a victory speech at the Minneapolis DFL citywide convention on July 19. Photo: Kyle Stokes/Axios
Minneapolis DFL Party officials admitted Sunday that they failed to count all valid delegate votes at the July convention where state Sen. Omar Fateh was endorsed for mayor.
Why it matters: The controversy has revived long-running debates about how the DFL awards the most sought-after endorsement in Minneapolis politics.
Catch up quick: A state DFL Party committee is weighing incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey's formal challenge to the endorsement.
- Problems with the July 21 convention's electronic voting system resulted in 176 being excluded from the official tally on the first endorsement ballot, party officials admitted in response to Frey's challenge.
- The mix-up partially affected the outcome: Candidate DeWayne Davis "would not have been dropped from consideration on the second ballot," convention organizers also conceded — which might've helped Frey's attempts to block Fateh's endorsement.
Reality check: The disputed ballot didn't decide the endorsement. Fateh won on a show-of-hands-style vote after Frey's campaign urged all their delegates to leave the convention.
- At a hearing on Frey's challenge Sunday, Minneapolis DFL officials contended it would be inappropriate for the state party to intervene, arguing Frey couldn't prove the endorsement result would've been any different.
- "The reality is Frey didn't have the numbers that day to win," Fateh's campaign told Axios in a statement, arguing overturning the endorsement would "disenfranchise the voices of delegates."
The big picture: If Fateh's endorsement is revoked, the party risks upsetting progressives who had cheered the democratic socialist's victory — and could "prove to skeptics that we are a party in disarray," six Minneapolis state legislators wrote in a letter to DFL leaders.
- "Many of us are the backbone of the DFL … We knock doors in swing districts, we drive turnout in Minneapolis, and we deliver the statewide wins that keep Minnesota blue," read a letter signed by 200 Fateh-allied delegates urging party leaders to reject Frey's challenge.
- "We were told," they added, "that the big tent of the DFL was big enough for us."
Between the lines: The DFL endorsement comes with exclusive access to the party's gold-standard voter database — and can be pivotal at the polls.
- In 2023, eight of the nine City Council members who won the DFL's endorsement went on to win their races.
How it works: The Minneapolis DFL endorses city candidates through a lengthy caucus process.
- Party officials say it's a more democratic process: Any resident willing to put in the time attending DFL conventions can affect the outcome.
Friction point: Critics, including from within the party, say the process favors insiders — and shuts out anyone with work or child care responsibilities on evenings or weekends.
- "Most people would call themselves DFLers in Minneapolis … but fewer than 1% of the population can actually participate," former Minneapolis DFL vice chair Mike Norton, who resigned over his frustrations with the "undemocratic" endorsement process, told Axios.
- The process has also broken down before. In 2023, two City Council endorsement conventions were canceled over concerns about phony delegate registrations. A third devolved into a violent brawl.
Yes, but: Norton says Frey lost because he lacked support at the convention, not because of unfair rules.
What's next: The state party's rules committee has until next Sunday to decide on Frey's challenge. If they overturn the endorsement, Fateh would have the option to appeal.