DFL in Disarray: Minneapolis Endorsement Reversal Exposes Cracks in the Party
The Endorsement That Vanished
Not two weeks after Senator Omar Fateh made history by securing the Minneapolis DFL’s mayoral endorsement — the first time since 1997 an incumbent mayor was denied the party’s backing — the rug was pulled out from under him.
Party leaders now say a malfunction in the electronic voting system miscounted ballots, forcing them to revoke the endorsement entirely. The Minneapolis DFL has been placed on two-year probation, barred from endorsing in the mayoral race.
For a party that claims to champion “secure, fair elections,” this reversal is more than a technical glitch. It’s a credibility crisis.
Hypocrisy on Display
The DFL has spent years insisting that Minnesota’s election systems are rock solid. Mail ballots, drop boxes, digital tabulation — all above reproach, we were told. Yet when the system went sideways in their own convention, suddenly the safeguards weren’t good enough.
It raises the obvious question: if the DFL won’t trust its own results, why should voters trust them at all?
A Family Feud Made Public
The fallout is widening. Fateh and his backers, including Rep. Ilhan Omar, denounce the decision as “disenfranchisement by party insiders.” Local organizers feel scapegoated, while state leadership tries to spin the reversal as “procedural.”
But the damage is done. Whether you see Fateh as a bold progressive or a reckless radical, the fact remains: the DFL managed to turn a moment of grassroots energy into another reminder that party politics is often more about control than democracy.
Stakes Beyond Minneapolis
The cracks in the metro are more than local drama. Control of the Minnesota Senate may hinge on upcoming suburban primaries in places like Woodbury and Brooklyn Park. After the sudden passing of Speaker Melissa Hortman, the DFL can’t afford to project chaos heading into a fall where the balance of power is already razor thin.
Bipartisan Angle
For Republicans, the episode is a gift: proof the DFL can’t run its own affairs. For Democrats, especially progressives, it’s a warning that the establishment still calls the shots — even when grassroots majorities say otherwise.
Both sides can agree on one thing: Minneapolis voters are left with a mayoral race clouded in doubt, and a party that looks divided when unity is supposed to be its greatest strength.
Final Word
First it was Gaza where recognition collided with accountability. Now in Minnesota, it’s the DFL itself being forced to reckon with the same principle: you can’t preach election integrity and then disown your own results.
In the Twin Cities, the endorsement reversal may prove more than a footnote. It’s a stress test of whether the DFL can hold its fractured coalition together — or whether the cracks now showing in Minneapolis will spread statewide.
