Omar Fateh, a Minneapolis mayoral candidate, is gaining national attention after earning the endorsement of Minnesota Democrats over the Democratic incumbent in the race. Fateh’s victory is already leading to him being presented as a rising star in the progressive wing of the party, with comparisons between Fateh and New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
In a series of votes held over the weekend, the Minneapolis Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party chose to endorse Omar Fateh for mayor against incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey. The decision by the DFL, which is the Minnesota version of the Democratic Party, is a huge upset win for Fateh.
Democrats endorse challenger Omar Fateh in Minneapolis mayor’s race
“I am incredibly honored to be the DFL-endorsed candidate for Minneapolis mayor,” Fateh said after winning the DFL’s approval, adding, “This endorsement is a message that Minneapolis residents are done with broken promises, vetoes, and politics as usual. It’s a mandate to build a city that works for all of us.”
The DFL’s endorsement does not decide the outcome of the mayor’s race. Frey came in second in the DFL’s 2017 convention before winning the mayor’s race, and he finished second with the DFL in 2021 but was reelected as mayor that same year. This year, Frey has disputed the result of the DFL contest, claiming there were glitches with the convention’s virtual voting process. Frey has also raised significantly more money for the race than Fateh. Nevertheless, Fateh sees the DFL endorsement as a sign of popular support.
“We know the status quo are going to do anything and everything to maintain power,” Fateh told his supporters. “They’ll have all the money in the world … But they don’t have you.”
Echoes of Mamdani as Fateh gains prominence, faces scrutiny
Fateh entered Minnesota politics in 2018, losing a state House race before winning a state Senate seat two years later, replacing a Democratic incumbent to do so. In the state legislature, Fateh has made a name for himself championing free college for students from low-income families as well as increased pay and benefits for rideshare drivers. He has also been critical of Minneapolis police and pushed to reform policing in the city.
Though the details of the two candidates and their races are different, Fateh’s rise bears a number of similarities with that of Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor. Both men are Democratic socialists, members of a progressive movement that also includes figures such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., and New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Both Fateh and Mamdani are Muslim sons of immigrants and have faced Islamophobic attacks; in Minneapolis, Frey has condemned such attacks against Fateh.
While Fateh rises within Minnesota politics and now begins to emerge on the national stage, he will likely continue to face scrutiny as Mamdani has in both the New York and national media. Fateh has already weathered political scandals in Minnesota. His brother-in-law, Muse Mohamud Mohamed, was convicted of perjury in an investigation of how he may have mishandled absentee ballots while working as a campaign volunteer for Fateh, who did not face criminal allegations in the incident. Fateh also drew criticism for defending a nonprofit organization that the FBI targeted for allegedly committing fraud with pandemic relief funds.
Whether Fateh, believed to be the first Somali American state senator in the United States, continues to break new political ground remains to be seen. For now, Fateh will undoubtedly continue to be in the spotlight as he seeks to complete a political upset in Minneapolis and as national attention turns to him and politicians like Mamdani as the potential future of the Democratic Party.
