Gov. Tim Walz endorsed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in the latter’s bid to lead the City of Lakes for a third term. Walz, himself mulling a run for a third term as Minnesota governor, is among the highest ranking officials to endorse Frey thus far.
“Mayor Frey is a partner I can trust to actually deliver progressive policies that improve people’s lives,” said Walz. “Jacob has helped make Minneapolis a national leader on issues like housing, and I’ve been proud to work with him to deliver funding to hire more police officers and fight violent crime.”
“I am proud to support Mayor Frey’s reelection so that we can continue working together to move Minneapolis into the future,” said the governor.
At the moment, the 2025 Minneapolis mayoral election is viewed as a contest between two candidates: Frey and State Sen. Omar Fateh, DFL-Minneapolis. Frey is serving his second term as mayor after winning the office in 2017 and 2021, and Fateh is in his second term as a senator.
Both candidates are decidedly left-wing, but Frey is viewed as more mainstream given his clashes with the far-left members of the Minneapolis City Council. Meanwhile, Fateh has drawn comparisons to Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City. Like Mamdani, Fateh is Muslim and aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America.
Earlier this month, the Minneapolis DFL endorsed Fateh for mayor, but Frey has asked the state DFL Party to nullify that endorsement citing problems at the city’s convention. Since then, Fateh’s candidacy has brought significant national attention to the mayoral race.
Walz joins Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt in endorsing Frey. Meanwhile, Fateh has been endorsed by a collection of state legislators and city officials, including swing-district state Sens. Judy Seeberger, DFL-Afton, and Aric Putnam, DFL-St. Cloud.
“Governor Walz has been a champion for the values that have made Minnesota a beacon of hope and national progress,” said Frey. “I am honored to have his endorsement and grateful for his partnership in making Minneapolis a safer and more affordable city for all.”
While Frey and Walz are complimentary of each other now, the pair famously clashed over the delayed response to the 2020 Minneapolis riots.
In May and June of 2020, rioters destroyed significant portions of Minneapolis in response to the death of George Floyd. Chaos ensued for three days before the National Guard was called to address the situation. In the aftermath, Frey and Walz accused the other of failing to promptly take action against the mayhem.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
