Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey defeated democratic socialist Omar Fateh and 13 other challengers Wednesday during the final round of counting in the city's ranked-choice voting election.
Frey, who secured a third term, led Fateh by about 10 percentage points after Tuesday night's first round of counting but didn't cross the 50%-plus-one-vote threshold he needed to win outright.
“I’m humbled by the support and trust that the people of Minneapolis have placed in me. Minneapolis is a great city rising, and our future is bright,” said Mayor Frey in a statement. “From right now through my final seconds as mayor, I will work tirelessly to make our great city a place where everyone, regardless of who you are or where you come from, can build a brilliant life in an affordable home and a safe neighborhood. I want to thank all of my fellow candidates for stepping forward in this election. All of them love Minneapolis. The record turnout we saw shows our shared commitment to work together in unity for the city we love and are proud to call home.”
The way ranked-choice voting works in Minneapolis, if no candidate clears the threshold in the first round, candidates with the fewest votes are eliminated for the next round of counting, while second- and third-choice rankings are allocated to the surviving candidates. The process is repeated until one candidate has enough. Frey won after the second round in 2021.
After two rounds of tabulation, the city's results showed more than 73,000 votes, which put Frey just over the 50% threshold necessary.
Fateh, ended up with more than 65,000 votes, or just over 44%.
"Thank you to every single person who believed in this scrappy campaign," reads a statement from Fateh released Wednesday afternoon. "Who believed in a vision for Minneapolis that was more affordable, that was more accountable, who showed up and worked and refused to give up on this city. This campaign was about the kind of Minneapolis that gives you every tool to spread your wings and enough support to lift you up if you stumble."
Fateh went on to say that, "Five PACs. Millions of dollars flooding into our city. I know that I, alongside the renters, the workers the families, the people of this city who were long left behind, built something money can't buy: people power."
Minneapolis also saw it's largest turnout ever for an off-year election. According to unofficial results released by the city early Wednesday, 147,702 voters, 55% of registered voters, cast their ballot in the election.
The previous record of 54% turnout was in the 2021 election when 145,337 voters participated.
“This year’s record-breaking turnout is something our entire City can be proud of,” said Katie Smith, Director of Elections and Voter Services. “It’s a reflection of the incredible dedication of our voters and the 1,900 election workers who made Election Day run so smoothly. On Election Judge Appreciation Day, it was inspiring to see our community turnout and participate.”
Frey, a mainstream Democrat, and Fateh, a Democratic state senator who is a democratic socialist, led a 15-candidate field. The only other candidates drawing significant votes were the Rev. DeWayne Davis and businessman Jazz Hampton, who were further back.
Fateh, Davis and Hampton formed an alliance, urging their voters to rank one another, but not Frey, to make it harder for the incumbent to win.
Frey led Minneapolis through the turmoil following the 2020 murder of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a white officer used his knee to pin his neck to the pavement for 9 1/2 minutes. But his administration later negotiated agreements with the state and federal governments to remake a police department that lost hundreds of officers after Floyd’s death.
Fateh was hoping to become the first Muslim and first Somali American mayor of the city, which has the largest Somali population in the U.S. He drew comparisons with Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who won New York City’s mayoral race on Tuesday, because of their backgrounds and ideological similarities. Both come from immigrant families, although Fateh was born in the U.S.
Election officials said Minneapolis set a record for the most votes cast in a municipal election, with more than 147,000 residents voting. They said 55% of registered voters turned out, up slightly from the previous record of 54% in 2021. The City Council is scheduled to certify the final results and make them official on Monday.
In neighboring St. Paul, Democratic state Rep. Kaohly Her defeated incumbent Democratic Mayor Melvin Carter early Wednesday after trailing slightly in the first round of counting there. Her will become the first woman and first Hmong American mayor of the state’s capital city, which has the largest Hmong population in the U.S.
She will be working with an all-female City Council.