DFL in Disarray: Endorsement Reversal Rocks Minneapolis Mayoral Race

In a stunning reversal that has rocked Minneapolis politics, the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party has revoked its endorsement of State Senator Omar Fateh for mayor—less than five weeks after it was awarded.

Fateh, a progressive and self-described democratic socialist, won the July 19 endorsement over incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey—marking the party’s first Minneapolis mayoral endorsement since 1997. But following confirmed voting irregularities at the city convention, the state DFL’s Constitution, Bylaws & Rules Committee rescinded the endorsement on August 21, citing “substantial failures” in the voting process.

Convention Glitch Triggers Political Earthquake

The DFL’s decision stems from a malfunction in its electronic voting system that miscounted dozens of ballots and improperly disqualified candidate DeWayne Davis. The fallout forced the party to not only strip Fateh of the endorsement but also to place the Minneapolis DFL on two years of probation, demanding sweeping internal reforms.

The endorsement had carried real weight—access to voter databases, organizational muscle, and party legitimacy. Its revocation effectively resets the mayoral field heading into the November 4 election, which will be conducted via ranked-choice voting.

Progressives Cry Foul, Centrists Applaud

The backlash from the party’s left wing was immediate. Rep. Ilhan Omar called the reversal “a stain on our party” and warned it would alienate grassroots activists already skeptical of centralized power. Others framed it as a top-down power grab designed to shield the establishment.

Frey’s team, on the other hand, defended the revocation as a necessary step to protect election integrity.

But the deeper story may be the one no one in power wants to talk about.

COMMENTARY: “Secure Elections, Unless They’re Not”

By Grant Ledger

Let’s not ignore the elephant in the room.

Minnesota DFL leaders—especially Governor Tim Walz and party loyalists—have spent years telling voters that the election system, particularly vote-by-mail, is “more secure than ever.” They've ridiculed anyone who questions the system’s accuracy or transparency.

And yet here we are.

A glitch in the DFL’s own electronic voting system in the state’s largest metro triggers an endorsement meltdown, sparks accusations of rigged results, and exposes an internal process riddled with failure. The party had to clean up its own mess—and did so only after it blew up in public view.

It raises uncomfortable but necessary questions:

• How many other votes—past or future—might have been miscounted, especially in a system the victors insist is foolproof?

• Would anyone be talking about fixing the system if the glitch hadn’t favored a progressive?

• What does this say about the integrity of internal party elections, let alone city-wide or statewide contests?

If this had happened under GOP leadership, the outrage would be headline news. But because it happened inside DFL ranks, it’s being treated like an embarrassing clerical error—when in reality, it’s a warning sign.

If you’re going to sell the public on “trust the system,” you’d better make sure the system works. And when it fails, the right thing isn’t to hide behind procedure. It’s to own up and fix it, top to bottom.