Wednesday November 5, 2025
State Senator Omar Fateh addresses his supporters at his election watch party at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Minneapolis, on Nov. 4, 2025. Credit: Dymanh Chhoun | Sahan Journal
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn (HOL) — Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey won a third term Wednesday after a
second round of ranked-choice tabulation pushed him just over the majority threshold, defeating state Sen. Omar Fateh in a 15-candidate field.
Unofficial results showed Frey with about 50% of the vote to Fateh’s about 44% after second-choice ballots were reallocated. On election night, Frey led the first-choice tally with roughly 42%, followed by Fateh at about 32%. The Rev. DeWayne Davis and attorney Jazz Hampton trailed at about 14% and 10% and were eliminated after the first round.
Turnout set a city record for a municipal race, with more than 147,000 ballots cast — about 55% of registered voters, according to Minneapolis election officials.
Under the city’s ranked-choice system, voters may rank up to three candidates. If no one wins a majority in the first round, candidates with the fewest votes are eliminated and their supporters’ next choices are redistributed until a candidate surpasses 50%.
Frey, a moderate Democrat first elected in 2017, campaigned on falling crime rates compared with recent peaks, continued police reform under court-enforced agreements, and a housing strategy that pairs affordable units with broader market-rate construction. He also pointed to city data showing lower average rent growth and a decline in homelessness.
Fateh, a democratic socialist in his second term at the Capitol, ran on a platform that included a city income tax on top earners, stronger tenant protections, including rent control, and a halt to clearing homeless encampments. He campaigned alongside Davis and Hampton, urging supporters to rank the three challengers and leave Frey off their ballots in hopes of unseating the incumbent.
In a statement, Fateh conceded while arguing the campaign shifted the city’s debate. “They may have won this race, but we have changed the narrative about what kind of city Minneapolis can be,” he said. “Because now, truly affordable housing, workers’ rights, and public safety rooted in care are no longer side conversations; they are at the center of the narrative.”
Frey, who guided the city through the unrest following George Floyd’s 2020 murder and the ensuing exodus of police officers, has pledged to keep implementing reforms while rebuilding staffing. “From right now through my final seconds as mayor, I will work tirelessly to make our great city a place where everyone … can build a brilliant life in an affordable home and a safe neighborhood,” he said.
Precinct-level results showed Frey’s strongest support in parts of southwest Minneapolis and the city’s core, while Fateh led across Powderhorn, Lyn-Lake, Phillips, the university area, and Cedar-Riverside. Although Fateh received more second-choice votes overall, the haul was not enough to overcome Frey’s first-round lead.
The outcome sets up another term of divided government at City Hall. Progressives are expected to retain a narrow majority on the City Council, short of the votes needed to override mayoral vetoes. Frey, who has frequently sparred with the council in recent years over policing, rideshare pay, and climate policy, said he plans to brief reporters on his third-term priorities this week.
The City Council is scheduled to certify the results on Monday.