Minnesota state senator Omar Fateh, a 30-year-old far-left Democrat of Somali descent, was defeated in his bid to unseat Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, according to results released November 5.
Frey, 44, won reelection by roughly six percentage points, securing a third term after running on what he described as “good, thoughtful governance that listens to data, research, and experts to deliver real results.” He was endorsed by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Fateh, who hoped to become Minneapolis’s first Muslim and Somali-American mayor, conceded the race on X, saying, “While this wasn’t the outcome we wanted, I am incredibly grateful to every single person who supported our grassroots campaign. I’ll keep fighting alongside you to build the city we deserve.”
A progressive activist known for backing the “defund the police” movement, Fateh drew comparisons to New York City’s newly elected socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani. But his outspoken left-wing record and emphasis on identity politics appeared to alienate moderate and independent voters, giving Frey — often viewed as a centrist Democrat — a clear advantage.
Fateh’s defeat comes amid broader scrutiny of Minneapolis’s Somali-American community, one of the largest in the United States. The community, estimated at up to 90,000 residents, has been both a growing political force and the source of recent controversies, including high-profile criminal cases involving Somali-born Minnesotans.
Frey’s victory also follows years of upheaval in Minneapolis politics, where debates over policing, public safety, and cultural change have divided the city since 2020. Under his leadership, the city has pushed police reform measures while resisting calls from the far left to dismantle the force entirely.
The result marks a rejection of the city’s more radical political wing — and a reminder that even in deep-blue Minneapolis, voters remain wary of progressive experiments that prioritize ideology over public order.
[READ MORE: Mamdani Credits Foreign-Born Voters for Mayoral Victory]
