Jacob Frey re-elected as Minneapolis mayor after ranked-choice win over progressive rivals

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: In the high-profile Minneapolis mayoral race, Democrat Jacob Frey secured a third term as mayor on Wednesday, November 5, after the final tabulation of ranked-choice voting results.

Frey had the most first-choice votes but did not win a majority outright. Election officials then began tabulating voters’ second and third preferences, as required under the city’s ranked-choice voting system.

Once lower-performing candidates were eliminated and their votes redistributed, Frey emerged with a clear majority, defeating his main challenger, State Sen Omar Fateh, a democratic socialist who ran a progressive campaign backed by Rep Ilhan Omar.

Minneapolis chose its mayor through a ranked-choice system

Under the city’s ranked-choice system, all candidates appear on the same ballot, and voters can rank multiple preferences in order.

The candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated, and those ballots are transferred to the voters’ next choices. The process continues until one candidate surpasses 50% of the vote.

The system, intended to encourage coalition-building and discourage negative campaigning, often results in multi-round counts, a process that can take several days. 

Frey reportedly benefited from second-choice support among more moderate voters, including those who had initially backed attorney Jazz Hampton and minister DeWayne Davis.

Both ran on progressive platforms but stopped short of urging supporters to exclude Frey from their ballots.

Jacob Frey consolidates support backed by state Democrats

Frey’s campaign drew backing from prominent Minnesota Democrats, including Governor Tim Walz and Senator Amy Klobuchar, who praised his leadership during a difficult era for the city.

The 44-year-old mayor has reportedly often presented himself as a pragmatic progressive, seeking to balance demands for change with institutional stability.

During his tenure, Frey has overseen Minneapolis through the 2020 murder of George Floyd, the protests that followed, and the city’s ongoing police reform efforts.

His administration has reportedly faced criticism from both sides: Progressives who believe that he has allegedly moved too slowly on reform and moderates who say that he must prioritize public safety and economic growth.

“We’ve been through crisis after crisis, and still, this city has stood strong,” Frey said in his victory speech.

“Our work on housing, public safety, and equity is far from done, but Minneapolis is moving forward together,” he concluded.

Jacob Frey emerged with a clear majority over Omar Fateh

Fateh’s platform reportedly proposed a $20 minimum wage, rent stabilization, and a public safety model emphasizing mental health response teams instead of police for certain calls. 

He also earned endorsements from six of the city’s 13 council members and several major unions.

While both candidates reportedly pledged to resist Trump-era policies, Frey highlighted his record defending Minneapolis’ sanctuary ordinance, which bars city employees and police from participating in immigration enforcement.

Progressives, however, argued that Frey’s stance hasn’t gone far enough.