Ilhan Omar, 16 Other Dems Blast State Party Over Fateh Endorsement Revocation

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Rep. Ilhan Omar and 16 other Minneapolis Democrats are condemning the state party leaders for revoking the Minneapolis mayoral endorsement of State Sen. Omar Fateh, calling the move undemocratic and damaging to the party’s credibility.

The group stated that the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party "overturned the will of Minneapolis delegates" when its bylaws committee voted this week to strip Fateh of the endorsement he won at the July 19 convention.

"Now, a month later, a small group of DFL board members, a majority living outside Minneapolis, met privately to overturn the will of Minneapolis delegates who volunteered, organized, and participated in a months-long DFL process," the statement read.

"Not only does this decision set an extremely dangerous precedent, it will undermine the DFL endorsing process going forward and fails to center the will of delegates."

The signers include seven state legislators, three Hennepin County commissioners, the Minneapolis City Council’s president and vice president, along with three other council members, and one school board member.

The statement also pointed to tensions within the state Democratic Party.

"It is extremely disheartening that Omar Fateh, the first Black mayoral candidate to be DFL-endorsed in the last three decades, will have his endorsement revoked," the group wrote. "The DFL Party is a big-tent party and all factions should be fairly represented, not silenced."

Omar and her colleagues also criticized what they described as the role of money in the race.

"Throughout this mayoral campaign, we have seen the influence of big money in our politics. This should not be how decisions are made in our party,” the statement said. "Blatant corruption should be widely condemned, not tolerated."

Fateh, a socialist candidate, has drawn national attention and comparisons to New York City’s Zohran Mamdani, another young socialist who recently scored an upset mayoral primary victory.

Why The Party Stepped In

The Minnesota DFL’s Constitution, Bylaws & Rules Committee (CBRC) said Thursday its review uncovered "substantial failures" in the July 19 Minneapolis convention, including the mistaken elimination of another candidate from endorsement consideration.

The findings cited problems with an online voting system and security lapses in delegate registration.

DFL Party Chairman Richard Carlbom said the move was necessary to correct an error and refocus the party ahead of the 2026 midterms.

"Now it’s time to turn our focus to unity and our common goal: electing DFL leaders focused on making life more affordable for Minnesotans and holding Republicans accountable," Carlbom said.