The Constitution, Bylaws & Rules Committee (CBRC) of the Minnesota Democrat Farmer Labor (DFL) Party decided to revoke the endorsement of Minneapolis Mayor Omar Fateh (D). This decision comes amid opposition from Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and other local officials who seem to be increasingly dependent on each other.
Omar Fateh, the state senator and first Somali-American elected to the state Senate, saw his support from the committee slip away on Thursday when they voted against him.
According to DFL Party Chairman Richard Carlbomb, the committee made this decision due to confirmed voting errors during the conference. “After a careful review of the challenge, the Committee discovered significant failures in the voting process from the July 19th Minneapolis Convention,” he noted, as reported by ABC 5 KSTP.
He further explained, “Thus, the Constitution, Bylaws & Rules Committee has revoked the mayor’s endorsement.”
Darwin Forsyth, a former spokesperson for Mayor Jacob Frey’s reelection effort, who had previously highlighted the apparent irregularities of the convention, sees this DFL decision as validation of his claims.
Forsyth remarked, “Fraud” might actually be a more accurate term for the chaos surrounding the convention.
On the other hand, Mayor Jacob Frey appears to be aiming for a more unifying approach, looking to regain support among Minneapolis voters, almost treating the party that had revoked his approval as a new opportunity for his campaign.
In a video shared on X, Fateh stated he was met with the decision by “28 Party Insiders” behind closed doors. “This group included non-Minneapolis residents, Frey supporters, and even donors,” he complained. “This is exactly what the voters in Minneapolis are tired of—insider politics and backroom decisions, making us feel unheard.”
Fateh also claimed that the review was disenfranchising. “Many participants from the Minneapolis Caucus represented us during the convention,” he emphasized. “We are still in this fight and determined to win.” His campaign has called on supporters to volunteer and donate.
A coalition led by Omar, including state legislators, county commissioners, city council members, and school board officials, condemned the committee’s decision in a joint statement. “We cannot allow the outcomes to be overturned simply because some members disliked them,” they asserted. They cautioned that this action sets a dangerous precedent that undermines the party’s endorsement process and discourages grassroots involvement.
The statement underscored Fateh’s milestone as “the first black mayoral candidate endorsed by the DFL in the past 30 years,” warning that this situation could stain the party’s reputation for years. Among the 16 individuals who signed the statement were Vice President Aya Chutai, state Senator Zeinab Mohamed, and other notable lawmakers.
This support was evident at the Minneapolis DFL Convention in July, where representatives chose Fateh as a challenger to incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey (D). Fateh, who has based his campaign on promises to ban the police’s use of tear gas and rubber bullets, plans to replace traditional law enforcement with alternative emergency response teams. He also aims to raise the city’s minimum wage to $20 an hour by 2028 and advocate for local income taxes targeting high earners. Additionally, he had previously opened his campaign office to support George Floyd’s protesters during the 2020 unrest, amid ongoing scrutiny over his ties to fraud scandals involving campaign donations.
