Minneapolis DFL
Political party in Minneapolis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Minneapolis Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, officially just the Minneapolis DFL, is the local organizing unit of the Minnesota DFL, the Minnesota state branch of the U.S. Democratic Party. Minneapolis is a strongly Democratic city, and the DFL has been the dominant political force in its municipal government for decades. Local elections in Minneapolis are officially nonpartisan, but candidates can seek the DFL endorsement due to the party's support and organizing infrastructure.[2]
Minneapolis DFL | |
|---|---|
| |
| Abbreviation | DFL |
| Mayor of Minneapolis | Jacob Frey |
| Chair | John Maraist[1] |
| Minneapolis City Council President | Elliott Payne |
| Political position | Center-left to left-wing |
| National affiliation | Democratic Party |
| Regional affiliation | Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party |
| Colours | Blue |
| State Senate (Minneapolis seats) | 5 / 5
|
| State House (Minneapolis seats) | 10 / 10
|
| City Council | 11 / 12
|
| Website | |
| minneapolisdfl | |
History
Minneapolis, a hotbed of Farmer–Labor activism in the 1930s, played a key role in the "fusion" of the state's Democratic and Farmer–Labor parties into the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL).[3] Hubert H. Humphrey, at the time a Minneapolis politician, is often cited as a founder of the DFL.[4] In 1945 Humphrey was elected Mayor of Minneapolis under the new DFL banner.[5] Internal factional battles plagued the early DFL; at the 1948 party caucuses and convention, Humphrey and anti-Communist liberals from Minneapolis faced off against a left-wing Farmer–Labor faction, a struggle Humphrey's wing ultimately won as the party unified against far-left influence.[6]
The following decades saw the DFL become the overwhelmingly dominant party in Minneapolis. Since in the 1950s, virtually all Minneapolis mayors and city council members have been affiliated with the DFL. The city has not elected a Republican mayor since 1975, and DFL-endorsed or DFL-aligned candidates have routinely won local offices.[citation needed]
Structure
The Minneapolis DFL is organized as a local unit of the statewide party, governed by party bylaws and run by elected volunteers. In municipal election years, the Minneapolis DFL holds precinct caucuses open to any party member in the city.[7] At these meetings, members elect delegates to ward conventions. Minneapolis is divided into 13 wards, and the DFL holds a convention in each ward during municipal election years. Ward conventions endorse candidates for City Council and choose local party officers. According to party rules, a candidate must receive at least 60% of delegates' votes at a ward convention to earn the DFL endorsement.[8] If no candidate surpasses that threshold (as often happens in highly contested races), no endorsement is made at the ward level. A Minneapolis city convention is convened to endorse for citywide offices such as Mayor and Park Board.[non-primary source needed]
The Minneapolis DFL is led by a city committee and executive board, including a chair, vice chairs, a secretary, and a treasurer.[9] The party operates under the Minnesota DFL's constitution and platform but has autonomy in managing local endorsing processes and campaign support.[10] The Minneapolis DFL coordinates voter outreach, candidate training, and Get Out The Vote efforts.[non-primary source needed]
Recent activity
2021 election
The 2021 Minneapolis municipal election was strongly contested, particularly around issues of policing and public safety in the wake of the George Floyd murder and ensuing civil unrest.[citation needed] The DFL itself did not endorse a position on the 2021 public safety charter amendment, as party members were divided on the proposal to replace the Minneapolis Police Department.[citation needed] The party made no endorsement in the mayoral race (incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey won re-election without an official party endorsement in both 2017 and 2021),[11] and several city council races saw DFL-endorsed challengers defeated by incumbents or other challengers.[12]
2023 election
The 2023 Minneapolis City Council election cycle brought some turmoil within the Minneapolis DFL. The Minneapolis DFL's ward conventions that spring were marked by allegations of misconduct.[13] In one high-profile incident, the Ward 10 endorsing convention in May 2023 descended into chaos when supporters of a challenger stormed the stage and a brawl ensued, disrupting the proceedings.[14] The convention was adjourned without an outcome, and the Minnesota DFL later banned the candidate involved from ever seeking DFL endorsement due to the melee.[15][16] A similar incident occurred in 2014 at a Ward 6 precinct gathering in Cedar-Riverside.[17]
In Ward 5 and Ward 6, separate disputes arose over delegate credentials, leading those conventions to be suspended or voided without endorsements.[18] These irregularities drew widespread attention and criticism. By early 2024, the FBI launched an investigation into the Minneapolis DFL's 2023 endorsement process for potential "election irregularities," interviewing party delegates and officials about the allegations of impropriety in multiple wards.[19]
The general election in November 2023 resulted in a progressive-leaning majority on the City Council, with several democratic socialist or left-wing candidates winning seats.[20] Council Member Andrea Jenkins narrowly won re-election in Ward 8 despite the DFL endorsement going to her opponent, Soren Stevenson.[21][22]
2025 election
Before the 2025 Minneapolis municipal election, a dispute over the timing of the Ward 2 DFL convention led to a lawsuit by some party members.[23] That legal battle prompted Minneapolis DFL Chair Conrad Zbikowski to resign. The Ward 2 convention was ultimately held as scheduled per a court's decision,[24] but no endorsement was issued in that race.[25]
The party unit endorsed Omar Fateh for mayor in the 2025 Minneapolis mayoral election,[26] but following complaints from incumbent mayor Jacob Frey, the state DFL revoked the endorsement citing irregularities in the voting process.[27] They also placed the Minneapolis DFL on a two-year probation and forbade another endorsement in the election.[28]
Election results
Mayor
| Year | Candidate(s) | Votes | % | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993[29] | Sharon Sayles Belton | 59,269 | 57.1 | Yes |
| John Derus | 44,042 | 42.4 | No | |
| Total DFL | 103,311 | 99.5 | N/a | |
| 1997[30] | Sharon Sayles Belton | 52,222 | 54.7 | Yes |
| Total DFL | 52,222 | 54.7 | N/a | |
| 2001[31] | R.T. Rybak | 57,739 | 64.7 | Yes |
| Sharon Sayles Belton | 30,896 | 34.6 | No | |
| Total DFL | 88,635 | 99.3 | N/a | |
| 2005[32] | R.T. Rybak | 43,198 | 61.5 | Yes |
| Peter McLaughin | 25,807 | 36.7 | No | |
| Total DFL | 88,635 | 98.2 | N/a | |
| Year | Candidate(s) | R1 votes | R1 % | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Betsy Hodges | 28,962 | 36.5 | Yes |
| Mark Andrew | 19,648 | 24.7 | No | |
| Don Samuels | 8,350 | 10.5 | No | |
| Other DFL | 7,534 | 9.5 | No | |
| Total DFL | 64,494 | 82.1 | N/a | |
| 2017 | Jacob Frey | 26,116 | 25.0 | Yes |
| Tom Hoch | 20,125 | 19.3 | No | |
| Betsy Hodges | 18,915 | 18.1 | No | |
| Raymond Dehn | 18,101 | 17.3 | No | |
| Other DFL | 17,518 | 16.8 | No | |
| Total DFL | 100,775 | 96.4 | N/a | |
| 2021 | Jacob Frey | 61,468 | 42.8 | Yes |
| Sheila Nezhad | 30,368 | 21.1 | No | |
| Kate Knuth | 26,468 | 18.4 | No | |
| Other DFL | 12,753 | 8.9 | No | |
| Total DFL | 131,460 | 91.3 | N/a | |
| 2025 | Jacob Frey | 61,444 | 41.7 | Yes |
| Omar Fateh | 46,614 | 31.6 | No | |
| DeWayne Davis | 20,414 | 13.9 | No | |
| Jazz Hampton | 15,339 | 10.4 | No | |
| Other DFL | 773 | 0.5 | No | |
| Total DFL | 144,584 | 98.1 | N/a |
City Council
| Election | Votes | % | Seats | ± | Majority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993[29] | 11 / 13 |
Yes | |||
| 1997[30] | 12 / 13 |
 1 |
Yes | ||
| 2001[30] | 63,767 | 75.0 | 10 / 13 |
 2 |
Yes |
| 2005[30] | 55,274 | 81.1 | 12 / 13 |
2 |
Yes |
| 2009 | 31,167 | 69.6 | 12 / 13 |
 0 |
Yes |
| 2013 | 59,814 | 79.3 | 12 / 13 |
0 |
Yes |
| 2017 | 84,203 | 82.7 | 12 / 13 |
0 |
Yes |
| 2021 | 115,277 | 86.0 | 12 / 13 |
0 |
Yes |
| 2023 | 70,322 | 89.3 | 12 / 13 |
0 |
Yes |
| 2025 | 125,479 | 90.0 | 12 / 13 |
0 |
Yes |