The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party has revoked the Minneapolis DFL’s endorsement of mayoral candidate and state senator Omar Fateh, who is challenging Mayor Jacob Frey in this year’s election.
Fateh, a democratic socialist, won the endorsement on July 19 at a Minneapolis DFL convention marked by difficulties and delays with the party’s electronic voting system.
A review by the state party found that those flaws with the voting system warranted nullifying the convention’s results.
Frey, a Democrat, filed a complaint about the voting process at the convention, and the state party decided to review the process.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
His campaign claimed only 578 votes were counted on the first mayoral ballot, even though there were more than 1,000 delegates and alternates present.
“After a thoughtful and transparent review of the challenges, the Constitution, Bylaws & Rules Committee found substantial failures in the Minneapolis Convention’s voting process on July 19th, including an acknowledgement that a mayoral candidate was errantly eliminated from contention,” Minnesota DFL Chair Richard Carlbom said in an announcement of the decision.
Complaints about the process
Complaints about the process included allegations that the electronic voting system was flawed, leading to candidates getting dropped from the ballot early in the process, even though they likely had enough votes to remain, according to the review.
The DFL found the convention failed to count 176 votes, which resulted in candidate DeWayne Davis’ removal from the ballot in the first round of voting, even though he had above the minimum 20% support needed to move forward.
After an evening of difficulties with the electronic voting system, the convention suspended its rules and voted by a show of hands.
A draft report from the state DFL’s rules committee, set to be released in full later this week, also found that the Minneapolis DFL didn’t secure its delegate credential spreadsheets, allowing them to be accessed by campaigns. They also lost the entire Ward 5 credentials book, meaning delegates have to reestablish their status, the report said.
As part of the state party committee decision, the Minneapolis DFL is barred from holding another mayoral endorsement convention in 2025 and won’t be able to endorse a candidate through its central committee.
The state party also placed the city party on probation for two years and ordered it to submit an improvement plan.
Responses from Fateh, Frey
In response to the decision, Fateh accused the DFL of “insider games” and “backroom decisions.”
“28 party insiders met privately and voted to overturn our endorsement,” Fateh said in a post on BlueSky. “Let me be clear, we’re still in this fight. And we’re going to win.”
Frey praised the decision in a statement.
“I am proud to be a member of a party that believes in correcting our mistakes, and I am glad this inaccurate and obviously flawed process was set aside,” he said. “I look forward to having a full and honest debate with Senator Fateh about our city’s future.”
Election Day is Nov. 5.
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