Omar Fateh, a 30-year-old Somali-background Minnesota state senator and far-left Democrat, lost his campaign to become mayor of Minneapolis to incumbent Jacob Frey in the November 5, 2025 election. Frey secured a third term with a six-point lead over Fateh, according to results released on Wednesday.
Frey, 44, campaigned on a platform emphasizing “good, thoughtful governance that listens to data, research, and experts to deliver real results,” backed by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Fateh, who sought to become Minneapolis’s first Muslim and Somali-American mayor, addressed supporters in a statement, expressing gratitude for his grassroots campaign but acknowledging the loss.
The election highlighted tensions within Minnesota’s Somali-American community, one of the largest in the U.S., with an estimated 70,000 to 90,000 residents in the Twin Cities area. Recent controversies include the sentencing of a Minneapolis resident to 30 years for his role in a 2012 kidnapping of American journalist Michael Scott Moore and the guilty plea of Guhaad Hashi Said, a former political operative linked to Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), in connection with a pandemic-era food program scam.
Frey’s victory marks a continuation of his moderate governance approach, contrasting with Fateh’s progressive policies. The Minneapolis Police Department recently swore in its first Somali-American woman officer and its first non-citizen officer following state law changes allowing legal residents to serve. Minnesota also adopted a new flag in 2024, a decision criticized by some as resembling a Somali flag.
