The Minneapolis mayoral race remains undecided as no candidate secured a majority vote, prompting continued tabulation under the city’s ranked-choice voting system.

According to unofficial results from the first round, incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey led with 42%, followed by State Senator Omar Fateh with 32%, DeWayne Davis at 14%, and Jazz Hampton at 10%.

Under the ranked-choice system, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated in each round, and their supporters’ next-ranked choices are distributed to the remaining contenders. The process will continue Wednesday until one candidate surpasses 50%.

Frey, seeking a third term, has run on maintaining stability — citing reduced crime rates and slower rent increases compared to other major U.S. cities. “Safety must remain at the heart of our progress,” Frey emphasized in his campaign remarks.

Some voters, like Bailey Taylor, a University of Minnesota political science student and Dinkytown resident, said public safety influenced their decision. “I ranked Frey first because crime worries me,” Taylor said. “I don’t want Minneapolis to face the same safety issues that made me afraid to go out at night in London.”

Meanwhile, Fateh’s campaign has energized progressive voters with promises of a democratic-socialist agenda, including an income tax on wealthy residents and rent control measures. Supporters like Madeline Schwabe, a nurse at M Health Fairview, said she voted for Fateh “to make the city more affordable.”

“It’s time working people stop carrying the burden of rising costs while CEOs profit,” Schwabe said.

The election comes at a challenging time for Minneapolis, facing fiscal pressures from rising costs and downtown office vacancies that have driven up residential property taxes.

Frey continues to support Police Chief Brian O’Hara, stressing continuity and reform in a city still healing from the 2020 killing of George Floyd. Fateh, however, has criticized the pace of police reform and declined to commit to reappointing O’Hara.

Final tabulation results are expected once ranked-choice redistribution concludes.

Salmurux News