Incumbent Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey won re-election over Democratic socialist challenger Omar Fateh after two rounds of ranked-choice tabulation, maintaining a clear lead from first-choice votes. The contest drew comparisons between Fateh and New York City’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
Minneapolis voters went to the polls on November 4, 2025; by November 5, city election officials reported Jacob Frey as the unofficial winner of the mayor’s race. The ranked-choice contest required two rounds of tabulation. In the final round, Frey had 50.03% to state Sen. Omar Fateh’s 44.37%, according to Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services and reporting by the Associated Press.
Frey led on first-choice ballots with roughly 41.7% to Fateh’s 31.6%. A total of about 147,000 ballots were cast in the mayoral race, with a majority threshold of 73,679 votes, city data show. The Associated Press noted Minneapolis set a modern record for municipal turnout and that the City Council is slated to certify results after the canvass.
The race unfolded against a national backdrop in which Fateh was frequently likened to New York City’s Zohran Mamdani, who won his city’s mayoral election this week. Both politicians ran on left-leaning affordability platforms and drew support from democratic socialist networks, though Minneapolis voters ultimately returned Frey to office.
Fateh’s campaign framed Minneapolis as a bulwark against federal policies under former President Donald Trump, stating on his website: “With Donald Trump back in the Oval Office … The City must act as the last line of defense.” His platform pledged to keep Minneapolis a safe haven for people seeking abortion and gender-affirming care and to expand protections and services for immigrant residents. On housing, he called for rent stabilization and increased investment in affordable housing, with added support for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC residents he said face elevated risks of housing loss, over-criminalization, and workplace harassment.
Party dynamics also shaped the race. In July, the Minneapolis DFL initially endorsed Fateh, but after Frey’s campaign challenged the process, the Minnesota DFL’s Constitution, Bylaws & Rules Committee vacated that endorsement on August 21, citing voting irregularities. The state party barred the Minneapolis DFL from issuing another mayoral endorsement in 2025 and placed the local unit on probation; a subsequent appeal by the Minneapolis DFL was rejected.
Minneapolis uses ranked-choice voting in city elections, eliminating lower-finishing candidates and reallocating subsequent preferences until a candidate crosses the majority threshold. This year, the tabulation concluded in two rounds, delivering Frey a third term.