Somali-American loses the race for mayor in Minneapolis, but the winner still communicates in his language.

Minneapolis Mayor Celebrates Re-election

This week, Jacob Frey, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Mayor of Minneapolis, marked his re-election over his opponent Omar Fateh from the Democratic Socialist Party.

Frey stated, “This election is meant to be a moment of unity for the entire Somali community to come together and say, ‘These are our people.’”

In the ranked-choice voting process, a second round of votes was necessary since no candidate achieved more than 50% in the first round. Ultimately, Frey secured another term with 50.03% of the votes, while Fateh received 44.37%.

A video circulated online displaying Frey celebrating with a vibrant rally of supporters, a significant number of whom were from the Somali community. In this video, Frey addressed the crowd, likely expressing gratitude to the city’s Somali community for their backing.

This video, attributed to Raad Media, appears to have originally been shared by journalist Yusuf Shaia. Conservative commentators also commented on the video via various platforms.

One commenter expressed disbelief at Frey’s outreach, stating, “I couldn’t believe how long Frey managed to pretend to be Somali. The pandering is beyond comprehension.”

During his speech, Frey included sentiments meant to resonate with all residents of Minneapolis: “No matter where you’re from, Minneapolis should be the place you call home,” he stated in English.

He also emphasized the importance of Minneapolis as a welcoming destination for Somali immigrants: “Whether you’re from Bosaso, Mogadishu, Hargeisa, or Galkayo, this is the place you seek prosperity and wish to raise your family.”

In a further call for unity, he mentioned the election as an opportunity for the Somali community to come together: “This election is a moment for us to say: ‘This is our people, this is our city, we are united with each other.’”