State Sen. Omar Fateh to run for mayor of Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS — State Senator Omar Fateh announced Monday that he is running for mayor of Minneapolis.

Fateh, 34, became the first Somali American and first Muslim to serve in the Minnesota Senate when he was first elected in 2020. His district encompasses parts of south Minneapolis, including Ventura Village, Powderhorn, as well as sections of Lyndale and Kingfield. 

“For working people, it’s getting harder to build our lives in Minneapolis. And with Donald Trump stepping back into the Oval Office, everything we’ve worked so hard to create is in jeopardy. It’s not enough to just stand up to Donald Trump. It’s time to push back with forward-thinking leadership,” Fateh wrote in his announcement. 

Fateh touted his progressive legislation — including funding free college tuition for low-income Minnesotans. He also authored a bill to legalize fentanyl test strips, which advocates say is key for harm reduction.

He was also the chief author of a rideshare bill aimed at raising wages for Uber and Lyft drivers. The DFL-controlled legislature sent the bill to Gov. Tim Walz’s desk in 2023, but the governor used his first veto to reject it after the companies threatened to pull out of parts of Minnesota.

The legislation, however, prompted the Minneapolis city council to pass their own version later that year; Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed it, and DFL lawmakers worked a compromise with the city. The law went into effect on Sunday.

“Mayor Frey and the status quo are failing Minneapolis residents,” said Fateh. “We deserve leadership that makes it so people want to continue to live here, raise families here, and start businesses here.”

The mayor, along with all 13 council seats, are up for reelection next year. Jeremiah Ellison, who has represented Ward 5 for nearly a decade, announced last week that he will not seek reelection.