Rep. Ilhan Omar says the upcoming Minneapolis elections represent a choice between maintaining a “broken status quo” or embarking on “the path of reform.”
The congresswoman from Minnesota shared her thoughts on the elections in a Twitter thread Tuesday afternoon. She specifically mentioned the death of George Floyd as a crucial inflection point, saying that the incident “got us here.”
“Instead of heeding the calls for reform, the [Minneapolis Police Department] and their union have fought tooth and nail to defend the officers who murdered George Floyd and stymie efforts at reform, often with the tacit approval of Jacob Frey.”
Frey, of course, is the mayor of Minneapolis, and his job is on the ballot next week, Nov. 2. All thirteen seats on the Minneapolis City Council are also up for grabs. Leftists currently hold all thirteen seats: 12 Democrats and one Green Party member.
Only four candidates of the 58 seeking election are Republicans, however. Ballotpedia says 42 of the 58 are Democrats and another dozen are independent or belong to a third party.
Omar continued her Twitter thread by slamming the Minneapolis Police Department for its tactics to control last summer’s historically destructive riots following Floyd’s death. She also attempted to blame the MPD for an allegedly insufficient response in responding to 911 calls and solving homicides, echoing remarks she made at a town hall last week.
The police department is currently down a third of its officers.
“We have an opportunity a week from today to reject this. We have an opportunity to choose hope and reform over fear and division,” she said. “There are many candidates and questions on the ballot, but they all boil down to one question: do you want to maintain the status quo or do you want reform?”
Republican Party of Minnesota Chair David Hann called on Minnesota Democrats to condemn Omar’s “extremist behavior and constant attacks on our law enforcement officers, military personnel, and members of the Jewish community.”
“For far too long, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and her extremist behavior has been enabled and supported by the highest echelons of the Minnesota Democrat Party,” he said.
In addition to endorsing candidates for mayor and city council, Omar reiterated her support for Minneapolis City Charter Amendments Nos. 2 and 3. Amendment No. 2 would replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a “department of public safety,” while No. 3 would give the city council authority to implement rent control.
She also rejects Amendment No. 1, which would transfer more power and consolidate administrative authority to the mayor. Elections will take place next Tuesday, Nov. 2.
Evan Stambaugh
Evan Stambaugh is a freelance writer who had previously been a sports blogger. He has a BA in theology and an MA in philosophy.
