The Minneapolis DFL is fighting to restore its endorsement of Sen. Omar Fateh after state party leaders overturned it, saying the convention where the decision was made was riddled with problems.
Fateh originally secured the Minneapolis DFL’s endorsement for mayor in July, but his victory was quickly challenged by current Mayor Jacob Frey’s campaign. Frey’s team raised concerns about major errors in the voting process during the convention, including missing ballots and confusion about delegate counts. In August, the Minnesota DFL’s Constitution, Bylaws, and Rules Committee (CBRC) stepped in and revoked the endorsement, citing what it called serious flaws in the way the vote was handled. The committee went further by banning the Minneapolis DFL from holding another convention or endorsing a different candidate.
The Minneapolis DFL has pushed back strongly against that decision. Chair John Maraist argued that the state party overstepped its authority and made its ruling based on faulty or exaggerated claims. He explained that their convention faced unusual challenges, including the illness of their lead operator, who suffered a stroke during the event. Maraist said that some of the accusations—that ballots were lost or records mishandled—were untrue. He also accused members of the rules committee of having personal stakes in the outcome, which, in his view, should have disqualified them from participating in the decision.
On the other side, Tim O’Brien, co-chair of the state committee, defended the revocation. He said the problems at the Minneapolis convention were too serious to ignore. According to the committee’s findings, 176 ballots out of nearly 1,000 were not counted on the first vote, and candidate DeWayne Davis was mistakenly dropped from the process. O’Brien said those irregularities made the endorsement invalid and that the rules committee was within its rights to act.
The dispute highlights a broader tension within the party about how much oversight state leaders should have over local branches. The Minneapolis DFL insists that, while mistakes may have been made, it should be the one to handle them. By blocking the city party from reconvening, they say, state leaders have unfairly taken away local control.
Fateh’s endorsement is significant because the DFL is dominant in Minneapolis politics, and winning its backing often provides a clear path to victory in the general election. Without the endorsement, Fateh’s campaign faces a tougher road. At the same time, Frey’s campaign has sought to use the controversy to raise doubts about the fairness of the convention where Fateh initially won.
The Minneapolis DFL officially filed its appeal earlier this month. They argue that the process used to revoke the endorsement was itself flawed and that the committee members who voted should have been screened for conflicts of interest. The appeal also disputes the claim that 176 ballots were mishandled, calling into question the accuracy of the committee’s findings.
To settle the matter, the DFL’s State Executive Committee has scheduled a virtual hearing. Both sides will present their arguments, and the executive committee will decide whether the endorsement should remain revoked or be reinstated. The outcome will not only affect Fateh’s mayoral campaign but could also set a precedent for how disputes between local DFL groups and the state party are handled in the future.
For now, both Fateh’s supporters and Frey’s campaign are waiting to see whether the state party will stand by its decision or give the Minneapolis DFL another chance to correct its mistakes. The hearing is set for Monday evening, and the ruling is expected to close this chapter of the ongoing fight over who gets to carry the DFL’s powerful endorsement in the Minneapolis mayoral race.
