Exclusive: Rep. Ilhan Omar condemns party's decision to throw out Fateh endorsement
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Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar sharply condemned her party's move to overturn its endorsement in the Minneapolis mayoral race on Thursday, calling the reversal a "stain on our party" that will damage Democrats' ability to organize and win "this year, next year, and beyond."
Why it matters: The statement, co-signed by over a dozen other local DFL elected officials, captures how the hotly debated decision is already deepening divisions between centrist DFLers and the democratic socialist-allied factions.
Context: The statement was released just hours after a state Democratic party committee revoked the Minneapolis DFL Party's endorsement of Omar Fateh, a state senator who identifies as a democratic socialist, over incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey.
- Committee members cited major concerns with local party organizers' handling of the endorsing convention.
What they're saying: The four-term congresswoman and other signers condemned the decision as an "extremely dangerous precedent" that "will undermine the DFL endorsing process going forward and fails to center the will of delegates."
- "Right now, there is a clear tension between the progressive Democrats who are challenging the status quo and moderate Democrats," the statement reads, calling it "extremely disheartening" that the first Black mayoral candidate to be DFL-endorsed in Minneapolis in the last three decades had the endorsement revoked.
Zoom in: The statement, first reported by Axios, was signed by Omar and seven members of Minneapolis' state legislative delegation, three Hennepin County commissioners, one school board member and five Minneapolis City Council members, most of whom have formally endorsed Fateh.
- Omar has clashed with Frey in the past but has not endorsed in this year's mayoral race.
The intrigue: The statement also criticizes newly elected Minnesota DFL chair Richard Carlbom, saying the decision "runs counter to" his campaign promise to unite the DFL.
- "The DFL Party is a big-tent party and all factions should be fairly represented, not silenced," it reads. "...Undoubtedly, this appalling decision will leave many voters feeling discouraged and unwelcome from participating in our party."
Reality check: Minneapolis DFL organizers admitted as part of the challenge process that their electronic voting system failed to capture all delegate votes during July's citywide convention.
- While the mix-up did not directly lead to Fateh's win, it did eliminate another candidate before the decisive second ballot, making it harder for Frey's supporters to block Fateh's endorsement.
- The party's rules committee also cited deeper issues with how the convention was run, leading it to put the Minneapolis chapter on probation.
The other side: A spokesman for Frey's campaign pointed to those issues in a statement responding to the comments from Omar and other elected officials, saying the state DFL Party "acknowledged what was exceedingly clear: this process was inaccurate and rife with misconduct."
- "We are glad that the state party made a decision based on facts, not on political pressure from Sen. Fateh's supporters," he said.
Between the lines: Omar is a prolific fundraiser who has transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to the state party in recent years.
- Turnout in her deep blue Minneapolis district helps drive Democratic victories statewide.
Go deeper: State party revokes Fateh's endorsement for mayor
Axios' Kyle Stokes contributed to this report.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a comment from the Frey campaign.