Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis has won a third term in office, according to The Associated Press, as voters selected the relatively moderate Democrat over a democratic socialist rival who proposed raising taxes on the rich to build more affordable housing, imposing rent increase caps and raising the minimum wage.
The race to run Minnesota’s largest city drew parallels to Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral bid in New York City. Mr. Frey’s top rival, Omar Fateh, 35, is a Somali American state legislator who pushed to provide free tuition for lower-income students and to force ride share companies to pay drivers more.
Mr. Frey, 44, who became mayor in 2019, ran Minneapolis during the tumultuous aftermath of George Floyd’s killing in May 2020, a period in which crime soared as hundreds of police officers retired or resigned from the embattled police force.
Mr. Frey held a broad lead Tuesday night but his victory was announced on Wednesday after election officials conducted a second count under a ranked choice voting system. That tally left the incumbent with just over 50 percent of the vote, while Mr. Fateh had 44 percent.
The two candidates sparred over public safety, homelessness and the future of a downtown district that has not recovered from Covid-era disruptions.
Mr. Frey drew attention to Mr. Fateh’s support of a failed ballot measure in 2021 that sought to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department amid a national debate over how public safety funding and resources should be allocated.
Mr. Frey opposed that measure, but he has overseen a broad overhaul in how officers are trained, supervised and held accountable for misconduct. Investigations by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the Department of Justice found a pattern of discriminatory practices and excessive use of force, setting in motion the overhaul.
The city’s response to homelessness was another contentious matter. Mr. Frey has adopted a zero-tolerance approach to homeless encampments, saying they can foment violent crime and drug overdoses. Mr. Fateh has said he favors a more lenient approach to encampments, while the city improves shelters and builds more affordable housing.
Besides Mr. Fateh, who represents a South Minneapolis district in the State Senate, other candidates in the race included Jazz Hampton, a lawyer and community organizer, and DeWayne Davis, a former congressional staffer and Christian minister.
Mr. Frey was widely seen as the front-runner in the race, and he raised far more money than his opponents. But the ranked-choice voting system presented a challenge for the incumbent, as some residents said they had planned to rank his rivals as top choices in an effort to deprive Mr. Frey of a third term.
Ernesto Londoño is a Times reporter based in Minnesota, covering news in the Midwest and drug use and counternarcotics policy.
The post Jacob Frey Wins Third Term as Minneapolis Mayor appeared first on New York Times.
