The Minneapolis DFL endorsement of state Sen. Omar Fateh for mayor has been revoked by the state party, which alleges there were "substantial failures" in the July 19 convention's voting process.
Fateh, a democratic socialist, won the endorsement over Mayor Jacob Frey following the convention, which prompted dozens of challenges, including an immediate challenge from the two-term incumbent's campaign.
A review of the challenges by the state party's Constitution, Bylaws and Rules Committee “found substantial failures in the Minneapolis Convention’s voting process,” Minnesota DFL Chair Richard Carlbom said in a statement. The findings were shared Thursday following a hearing on Sunday.
Chief among the issues was mayoral candidate DeWayne Davis being improperly dropped from contention on the second ballot as a result of a 176-vote miscount on the first ballot in the mayoral endorsing contest.
Davis should have proceeded to the second round of voting instead of being eliminated – barely – in the first, though the Minneapolis DFL has argued that it would not have changed the outcome of the final vote given Fateh had a substantial lead over Frey following the first round.
But the committee ruled that "second ballot of the mayoral endorsement must be disregarded in its entirety by reason of the fact that it did not include the name of an eligible candidate."
The review also determined that the electronic voting system used by the Minneapolis DFL was “substantially flawed."
The Minneapolis DFL has been placed on probation for two years as a result of the findings. It could choose to appeal the state party's decision.
Following the announcement, Fateh's campaign issued a statement, calling it a "disenfranchisement of thousands of Minneapolis caucus-goers and the delegates."
"The establishment is threatened by our message," a statement reads. "They are scared of a politics that really stands up to corporate interests and with our working class neighbors."
Minneapolis for the Many, a progressive PAC, pointed out that the mayor only "managed to secure 30% of the votes on the first ballot at convention" and would not have won the endorsement. A statement from the PAC claims that "a handful of state party leaders, many of whom do not live in Minneapolis, chose to overturn the results in a closed meeting."
Similarly, Fateh's campaign blamed "28 mostly out-state, establishment Democrats, including many Frey donors and supporters," who he claims "met privately and voted to overturn the will of Minneapolis residents."
Meanwhile, Mayor Frey said "glad that this inaccurate and obviously flawed process was set aside," and he's "proud to be a member of a party that believes in correcting our mistakes."
“I look forward to having a full and honest debate with Senator Fateh about our city's future, with the outcome now resting squarely where it should — with all the people of Minneapolis," Frey said in a Thursday statement.
Fateh has been endorsed by Minneapolis City Council members Elliott Payne, Aisha Chughtai (vice president), Robin Wonsley, Jamal Osman and Jason Chavez.
Many of them told the Minnesota Star Tribune that the actions by the Minnesota DFL would widen fissures in the party, and not just locally.
“It’s an extremely short-sighted thing to do, not just tactically but philosophically,” said Payne, the council's president. “It basically is turning their backs on the entire concept of this being an inclusive party that is multi generational, multiracial and based on values. Apparently, it’s based on money, and you can just buy the outcome you want.”
Council member Emily Koski dropped out of the Minneapolis mayoral race in April due to the "current political climate," which she said "punishes integrity, vilifies collaboration, and prioritizes power over people."
The pushback from centrist Democrats to the endorsement of Fateh bears similarities to the response to the victory of another democratic socialist, Zohran Mamdani, in the New York City mayoral primary – on the back of policies including rent freezes, a massive affordable house building program, and a new tax on the wealthiest city residents.
This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Aug 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the MN News section. Add Bring Me The News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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