Axios Twin Cities

November 04, 2025
π³οΈ Welcome back! It's Election Day in many communities across the state.
- Nothing on your local ballot? You can still cast a vote in our survey on early morning meetings!
βοΈ Sunny with a high of 60, per NWS.
Situational awareness: Former Vice President Dick Cheney died Monday at age 84 from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease.
π Happy birthday to our Axios Twin Cities member Shelly Prieve!
Today's newsletter is 1,060 words, a 4-minute read.
1 big thing: Mayoral battles come to a head
The next mayor of Minneapolis or St. Paul may not need to be voters' first choice β but they will need enough voters to rank them second or third.
The big picture: Ranked-choice voting will decide the two highest-profile contests in the Twin Cities today.
- Contenders in Minneapolis' 15-candidate mayoral field spent the campaign's final days vying for a place anywhere on voters' ballots: in a ranked-choice election, second- and third-choice votes can matter.
State of play: Mayor Jacob Frey's critics have banked on an "anyone but Frey" strategy, asking voters to rank, in any order, their so-called "Slate For Change": Omar Fateh, DeWayne Davis and Jazz Hampton.
- "These are the three best options right now," Fateh said during a debate on WCCO.
The other side: Frey expressed confusion at the strategy, contending the slate would only benefit Fateh.
- "He's by far the leading challenger β¦ Minneapolis voters are smarter than that," the mayor said.
The intrigue: Frey's leading opponents have appeared at joint door-knocking outings and meet-and-greets β but they also said the "Slate For Change" wasn't their strategy.
- "I have never said and will never say 'Don't Rank Frey,'" Hampton said during the same debate. (The conventional wisdom is that a significant number of Hampton's first-choice voters may make Frey their second or third choice.)
- "I'm running for myself," Davis said, and not to "prop up" any other candidate.
What we're watching: Whether second-choice votes tip St. Paul's five-candidate mayoral election.
- State Rep. Kaohly Her's late entry into the race gave incumbent Melvin Carter a high-profile challenger β but biophysicist Yan Chen has raised just as much money as Her.
π΄ Bedtime alert: If no candidate in Minneapolis' mayoral or City Council races wins outright on first-choice votes, city officials plan to count second- and third-choice votes tomorrow.
- Ramsey County officials expect to declare a winner late Tuesday night thanks to new ranked-choice tabulation software.
2. What else is on local ballots today
π In Minneapolis, the outcome of a handful of contested Council races will decide whether a left-wing coalition retains its veto-proof majority.
- Case in point: The stakes have fueled high spending in several races, including the Ward 7 battle between incumbent Katie Cashman and Park Board Commissioner Elizabeth Shaffer.
βοΈ Twelve suburban cities are holding municipal elections β including Bloomington, Minnetonka and St. Louis Park, which also use ranked-choice voting.
ποΈ Woodbury-area voters and several northwest exurbs are filling vacant state Senate seats that will determine whether Democrats retain their one-seat majority in the chamber.
π A high-stakes election in Anoka-Hennepin schools β the state's largest district β headlines a list of two dozen school board races in the metro.
π Plus: St. Paul Public Schools is one of 15 metro-area districts asking voters to hike taxes to generate more funding.
- Statewide, more districts than usual are seeking approval for a general operating levy, which can be used to cover day-to-day expenses.
3. The Spoon: π«§ My little (skyway) soda pop
π₯€ "Dirty soda" chain Sota Shop is joining the downtown Minneapolis skyways, with plans for a new location in the 510 Marquette building next year. (Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal)
β½οΈ Minnesota United lost to the Sounders 4-2, forcing a decisive Game 3 on Saturday in St. Paul. (Star Tribune)
π The Trump administration says it will partially fund SNAP benefits after two federal judges ruled that the funds must be released. (Axios)
πββοΈββ‘οΈ Minnesotan Joel Reichow was the top U.S. men's finisher in Sunday's New York City Marathon, placing sixth overall with a time of 2:09:56. (Star Tribune)
- π¨ That's an average pace of 4:58 per mile.
πΌ Moss & Barnett, one of Minneapolis' oldest law firms, will merge with global firm Cozen O'Connor next year. (Minnesota Lawyer)
π³οΈ House Speaker Lisa Demuth confirmed yesterday that Republican Majority Leader Harry Niska will take the lead on the House GOP Caucus' campaign efforts as she mounts a gubernatorial bid. (Background via Axios)
4. Chart du jour: Millennial Botox boom


Millennials now make up a bigger share of Minnesota Botox patients than their older Gen X counterparts, according to data shared with Axios.
The big picture: The Botox gap between the two generations is shrinking nationwide, as appointments for the face-firming treatments become about as mainstream as visits to the hair salon.
Between the lines: The percentage of Botox patients who are Millennials in Minnesota β 45% β is considerably higher than the national average of 35%, data from medical aesthetics and medtech data provider Qsight shows.
What we're hearing: Younger patients are increasingly seeking "preventive" treatments, Rebecca Small, a physician who specializes in advanced aesthetic services, told Axios.
- Lip fillers and Botox shots into jaw muscles, intended to offer a slimming effect, are on the rise.
5. βοΈ 1 fun thing to go: Season's first snowballs fly

Minneapolis civic leaders tried to pelt one of their peers with pre-made snowballs as a kickoff to "Winterapolis" yesterday.
Why it matters: Winterapolis is a new marketing campaign to draw more attention to cold-weather festivities in Minneapolis between late November and March βΒ especially now that Holidazzle is gone.
Between the lines: There aren't a lot of new attractions or events this year, except for a curling plaza that will be installed on Nicollet Mall for the Winter Olympics.
- Exact time and location are to be determined, Minneapolis Downtown Council CEO Adam Duininck told Axios.
The big picture: The Winterapolis campaign hopes to make the case that there's still going to be plenty to do this winter.
- The list includes Dayton's Holiday Market (Nov. 13-Dec. 27), the Downtown Polar Bear Pub Crawl (Dec. 20), The Great Northern (Jan. 28-Feb. 1) and the Luminary Loppet (Feb. 7).
Editor's note: This story has been updated to say Dayton's Holiday Market runs through Dec. 27 (not Dec. 7).
6οΈβ£7οΈβ£ Nick's second grader tried to explain to him what 6-7 means and he still doesn't understand. He feels old.
π Torey is tempted to join her fellow Millennials on the Botox bandwagon. Send recs!
π’ Kyle has ridden some roller coasters, but none wilder than this story about the New York mom who had her 13th child at 62, and is now fighting for custody of two more children.
π Audrey's partner built her a Little Free Library for her birthday. Best present ever.
This newsletter was edited by Lindsey Erdody.
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