Minnesota State Senator Omar Fateh has officially secured the Democratic Party endorsement in the race for Minneapolis mayor, positioning the democratic socialist as a powerful contender in the city’s 2025 election. Fateh’s victory at the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) endorsement convention this weekend signals a shift in Minneapolis politics, driven by grassroots momentum and growing dissatisfaction with establishment leadership.
Fateh, a Somali-American who represents parts of south Minneapolis in the Minnesota Senate, emerged as the favorite after a multi-ballot battle against incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey and City Council Member Jeremiah Ellison. The endorsement process required multiple voting rounds, with Fateh gradually consolidating support until he passed the 60% threshold needed to clinch the nomination. The outcome marked a rare rebuke of a sitting Democratic mayor in a major U.S. city and underscores the leftward tilt among Minneapolis DFL delegates.
Throughout the endorsement race, Fateh campaigned on a platform focused on housing justice, public safety reform, and community investment. He pledged to implement rent stabilization policies, expand public housing, and redirect funds from police budgets into community-led safety programs. His agenda echoes the broader democratic socialist movement, backed by figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, and carried forward in Minnesota by lawmakers like Rep. Ilhan Omar and State Representative Zaynab Mohamed.
Fateh’s endorsement was further bolstered by support from the Twin Cities chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which played a key organizing role leading up to the convention. Fateh, a longtime DSA member, was also backed by fellow democratic socialist and New York State Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, who traveled to Minneapolis to campaign for him. Mamdani delivered a rousing speech to delegates, urging them to “choose the politics of hope and transformation over cynicism and compromise.”
The endorsement convention itself was charged with ideological intensity. Delegates chanted progressive slogans and waved signs reading “Housing is a Human Right” and “No Cop Money in Our Politics.” According to attendees, Mayor Frey’s centrist policies and prior clashes with activists around policing and homelessness weakened his standing. Ellison, the son of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, was considered a potential unity candidate but ultimately failed to galvanize enough support to block Fateh’s rise.
Fateh now heads into the general election with the backing of the DFL, giving him a significant advantage in a city where the party endorsement historically carries great weight. While other candidates may still enter the race as independents or third-party contenders, the endorsement effectively makes Fateh the frontrunner. His challenge will be to unify a diverse Minneapolis electorate while staying true to his progressive base—a balance that could define not just the city’s next four years, but the direction of urban Democratic politics nationwide.
If elected, Fateh would become the first Somali-American mayor of Minneapolis and one of the highest-ranking openly socialist officials in the country. His campaign has been hailed by left-wing activists as a model for reclaiming local politics from corporate influence and centrist stagnation. But critics warn that his ambitious policy goals may face resistance from business groups, moderate Democrats, and public safety unions.
Fateh’s rise also reflects the evolving political identity of Minneapolis, a city still grappling with the legacy of George Floyd’s murder and the nationwide protests that followed. In this context, his candidacy represents a direct response to demands for systemic change—one that challenges the status quo while amplifying the voices of marginalized communities.
With months to go before Election Day, Fateh’s team is gearing up for a high-stakes general election campaign focused on turnout, coalition-building, and messaging that resonates across the city’s racial, economic, and ideological divides. As the national spotlight begins to turn toward Minneapolis, Omar Fateh’s mayoral bid is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched progressive insurgencies of 2025.
