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Hiiraan Online Today from Hiiraan Online: Somali Music advertisements Minneapolis mayor’s race heads to second-round count as Frey holds lead over Fateh FacebookFacebook messengerTwitterWhatsAppLinkedInTelegramEmail Wednesday November 5, 2025 State senator Omar Fateh and the incumbent mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, debate on 26 September 2025. Photograph: Leila Navidi/Zuma via Shutterstock MINNEAPOLIS, Minn — Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey leads State Sen. Omar Fateh after the first round of voting in the city’s ranked-choice mayoral election, with about 42 percent of first-choice votes to Fateh’s 32 percent. Because no candidate reached the majority required to win outright, the race will proceed to a second-round count on Wednesday, officials said. Under the city’s ranked-choice system, voters can rank up to three candidates. If no one surpasses 50 percent in the first round, the lowest-ranking contenders are eliminated and their votes redistributed according to second and third preferences. A third round may follow if no candidate achieves a majority after Wednesday’s tabulation. Unofficial results show DeWayne Davis with roughly 14 percent and Jazz Hampton with about 10 percent. The outcome may hinge on how Davis and Hampton’s supporters ranked their second choices. The three challengers had urged voters to rank one another to challenge Frey’s incumbency. “We are well in the lead, and we are super excited about where this city is going,” Frey told cheering supporters late Tuesday, stopping short of declaring victory. Fateh, speaking to his own crowd, called the contest “too close to call,” saying every vote must be counted and reallocated. Addressing supporters late Tuesday, Fateh spoke about the grassroots coalition that powered his campaign. “Thank you for believing in this vision and fighting beside us,” he said. “We go further when we work together, and our campaign has built the broadest coalition in this race because strong cogovernance has always been at its core.” The race reflects Minneapolis’ broader debate over public safety, housing, and policing reforms. Frey, a mainstream Democrat seeking a third term, has cited falling crime rates, new housing initiatives, and police reform agreements with federal and state officials as signs of progress. Fateh, a democratic socialist, has pushed for rent stabilization, greater investment in social services, and an end to the clearing of homeless encampments. The campaigns also represent contrasting political wings within Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. Frey has the backing of Gov. Tim Walz and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, while Fateh is supported by Rep. Ilhan Omar and a coalition of progressive state legislators. His campaign mirrors a growing urban left movement, drawing comparisons to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s recent victory. Across the Mississippi River, State Rep. Kaohly Her unseated two-term Mayor Melvin Carter in St. Paul, becoming the capital’s first woman and first Hmong American mayor, a historic win that contrasted with Minneapolis’ still-undecided outcome. Election officials said the second-round count will begin Wednesday morning. Observers are watching to see whether Fateh can close Frey’s lead through transferred votes from Davis and Hampton’s supporters, and how many ballots become “exhausted”, those with no further ranked choices. The final results will determine whether Frey secures a third term or Minneapolis embraces new leadership under Fateh. Opinion| Privacy Policy|Sports|Somali Music|Somali Map All Rights Reserved Copyright. © 1999-2025, www.hiiraan.com
