Voter Guide 2025: Minneapolis Mayoral Race Tests the City’s Future.
Minneapolis voters head to the polls Tuesday to choose their next mayor — and the outcome could redefine the city’s political identity for years to come.
Four major Democrats dominate the crowded field of 15 candidates: incumbent Jacob Frey, state Sen. Omar Fateh, Rev. DeWayne Davis, and tech entrepreneur Jazz Hampton.
The city’s ranked-choice voting system—allowing voters to rank up to three candidates—makes alliances and second-choice preferences crucial.
Frey’s opponents have informally coalesced around an “anyone-but-him” strategy, reflecting deep divisions over policing, housing, and the city’s recovery from years of social unrest.
Jacob Frey: The Incumbent on Defense
Mayor Jacob Frey, 44, is running for a third term on a record of steady, pragmatic leadership. He promises to rebuild the Minneapolis Police Department by hiring more than 150 new officers, while expanding mental health response teams and continuing long-term police reforms.
Frey points to new housing projects and downtown redevelopment as signs of progress, touting over 12,000 new units in the pipeline.
But his critics say he’s failed to deliver on a 2017 campaign pledge to end homelessness, and accuse him of being too cautious on reform after the murder of George Floyd.
Frey retains strong institutional backing, with endorsements from Gov. Tim Walz, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and several City Council members. His message: Minneapolis needs experience, not experimentation.
Omar Fateh: The Progressive Challenger
Senator Omar Fateh, 35, has emerged as Frey’s top rival. A Somali American and self-described Democratic socialist, Fateh is campaigning to shift power “from corporations to communities.”
His agenda includes rent stabilization, a $20 minimum wage by 2028, and a housing-first approach to homelessness that rejects encampment sweeps.
Fateh promises to implement MPD reforms under state and federal consent decrees and invest in public infrastructure like electric vehicles and community spaces.
Supporters liken him to New York’s Zohran Mamdani — a progressive insurgent reshaping urban politics.
He’s endorsed by Rep. Ilhan Omar, the Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America, and several council members. To his base, Fateh represents generational change — a mayor who speaks for renters, immigrants, and the working class.
DeWayne Davis: The Clergyman Candidate
Rev. DeWayne Davis, 54, enters the race as the moral alternative — a pastor and civil rights advocate pushing for compassion-driven governance.
His platform emphasizes affordable housing, community-based safety, and renewable energy, including closing the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center by 2030.
A former congressional staffer and minister at Plymouth Congregational Church, Davis frames his campaign as a movement for “good governance and community healing.” He has endorsements from Rep. Ilhan Omar, the Sierra Club, and the Stonewall DFL, among others.
Davis’s challenge is visibility — while his message resonates with progressives, he must break through in a crowded progressive lane also occupied by Fateh and Hampton.
Jazz Hampton: The Tech Disruptor
At 35, Jazz Hampton is the newcomer aiming to shake up city politics. A defense attorney-turned-tech CEO, Hampton co-founded TurnSignl, a mobile app connecting drivers to lawyers during police encounters.
His campaign centers on affordable housing, small business growth, and climate justice.
Hampton brands himself as the “outsider with solutions,” criticizing City Hall’s “cycle of gridlock” under Frey.
His supporters see him as a fresh, pragmatic voice — progressive on values, but business-minded on execution.
He’s earned endorsements from Rep. Ilhan Omar, TakeAction Minnesota, and the Minneapolis Federation of Educators.
The Stakes
The 2025 Minneapolis mayoral race is not just a test of personalities — it’s a referendum on the city’s direction since 2020.
Frey’s call for continuity faces Fateh’s demand for transformation, Davis’s moral reformism, and Hampton’s civic innovation.
With no DFL endorsement and ranked-choice voting in play, the contest may come down to second-choice alliances — and voter trust in who can deliver a safer, fairer, and more livable Minneapolis.
