(The Center Square) – On Election Day, 15 different candidates will be vying to become the next mayor of Minneapolis.
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.
All four are members of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which is a Minnesota-specific political party affiliated with the national Democrat Party.
Minneapolis uses 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.
While Frey has the backing of the Democrat establishment, Fateh has made a name for himself nationally as the race’s progressive candidate. Early polling shows them topping voters’ ballots.
The election has 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.
Though all members of the same party, the candidates still differ over approaches to issues like public safety and the minimum wage.
All four agree 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 endorsements from Democrat leaders, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the 2024 former vice president candidate. In contrast, Fateh recently received the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s, D-Minnesota. Omar is a member of the progressive group of lawmakers known as “The Squad.”
In Minneapolis, polling places are open for in-person voting Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
