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Mayoral election in Minneapolis, Minnesota (2021)
- Election date: 11/2/2021
- Registration deadline(s): 10/12/2021 (early); 11/2/2021 (election day)[1][2]
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: Yes[3]
- Start of early voting: 9/17/2021[4]
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): 11/2/2021[5]
- Voter ID: See here[6]
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.[7]
2025 →
← 2017
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| 2021 Minneapolis elections |
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| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: August 10, 2021 |
| General election: November 2, 2021 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: Mayor |
| Total seats up: 1 (click here for other city elections) |
| Election type: Nonpartisan |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2021 |
Incumbent Jacob Frey (D) won the general election for mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 2, 2021. Frey, AJ Awed (D), Katherine Knuth (D), Sheila Nezhad (D), and thirteen other candidates ran. The filing deadline for this election was August 10, 2021.
Minneapolis used ranked choice voting to elect city officials. Voters could rank up to three candidates on their ballots. Click here to learn more about how ranked choice voting worked in this election.
Elections in Minneapolis are officially nonpartisan, but the Minneapolis City Charter allows mayoral and city council candidates to choose a party label to appear below their name on the official ballot. Ballotpedia includes candidates' party or principle to best reflect what voters will see on their ballot.[8] Eight candidates identified as Democrats, while two identified as Republicans. The remaining seven candidates identified with a mixture of minor parties or identified as independents.
Awed, Frey, Knuth, and Nezhad led in noteworthy endorsements and fundraising.
In the StarTribune, reporter Kelly Smith described the mayoral and city council elections as microcosms of a more general rift in the Democratic Party, writing "[t]he split between moderate and progressive Democratic candidates ahead of the Nov. 2 election reflects a broader gap across Minnesota and nationwide as the Democratic establishment faces intense competition from a newly energized and insurgent progressive wing of the party."[9] The divide between the moderate and progressive mayoral candidates was seen most clearly in the debate over criminal justice reform, housing policy, and three proposed amendments to the city's charter, which voters decided on November 2.
The proposed amendments included one that would change the structure of the city government from a weak mayor-council system to a strong mayor-council system (Question 1), one that would replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a Department of Public Health (Question 2), and one that would authorize the city to enact rent control policies (Question 3).[10][11][12]
Click here to see the candidates' positions on the amendments.
Frey, who was elected mayor in 2017, opposed the amendment that would replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a Department of Public Health.[13] Awed, the executive director of the Cedar-Riverside Community Council neighborhood association, was critical of the amendment to replace the Minneapolis Police Department.[14] Knuth, a former state representative who runs a consulting agency focused on climate change and civic institutions, said she supported the amendment that would replace the Minneapolis Police Department.[15] Nezhad, a community organizer who founded Nezhad Consulting, said she supported supports the amendment to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a Department of Public Safety.[16]
Troy Benjegerdes (D), Clint Conner (D), Christopher W. David (D), Mark Globus (D), Bob Carney (R), and Laverne Turner (R) ran in the election. Third party, independent, and write-in candidates included Jerrell Perry, Marcus Harcus, Paul E. Johnson, Mike Winter, Nate Atkins (L), Doug Nelson, and Kevin Ward.
Minneapolis last elected a Republican mayor in 1957.[17] The last Republican mayor to hold office was Richard Erdall (R), who became acting mayor for one day on December 31, 1973.[18] In 2020, Joe Biden (D) won Hennepin County by a 43.21% margin.[19]
Candidates and election results
General election
General election for Mayor of Minneapolis
The ranked-choice voting election was won by Jacob Frey in round 2 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.
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Total votes: 143,974 |
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 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff compiled a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[20]
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: Yes
Political Office:
- Mayor of Minneapolis (Assumed office: 2018)
- Minneapolis City Council (2014-2018)
Biography: Frey grew up in Northern Virginia, and graduated from the College of William and Mary with a degree in government. He graduated from Villanova University with a law degree. His professional experience includes working as an employment and civil rights attorney.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Minneapolis in 2021.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "A proud son of war refugees, I was born in Somalia and immigrated with my family to the United States when I was five years old. I have been brought up in this country and have gone through the trials and tribulations of the American experience. I moved to Minneapolis in my late teens, going on to get my BA from the University of Minnesota in Sociology of Law Criminology and Deviance, and eventually my Juris Doctorate from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. I have spent the majority of my professional career being involved and an advocate for my community. Currently, I am the Executive Director at Cedar-Riverside Community Council with four years in private practice as a Mediator."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Minneapolis in 2021.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I am a lifelong Democrat who cares deeply about fairness and justice. I am focused on shrinking the opportunity gap and moving aggressively toward equality in opportunity. I love technology and efficiency, so I became an engineer. I love great ideas and to debate issues, so I went to law school and became a patent litigator. I love to sweat, so I took up boxing. And I absolutely love Minneapolis, and all of its multi-cultural community, so I am running to be Minneapolis’s next mayor. I am running because we cannot afford another four years of Jacob Frey’s leadership. I am running because we need: - SAFE STREETS - Stable, affordable, and liveable housing for all - Small business boom I am running because I have the courage, experience, and skills to lead this city on a march straight into the headwinds – to tackle the most challenging issues our city has faced. Being a mayor in good times might be easy, but leading us back to good times takes hard work and a commitment to being out in front of the issues and on the front lines. No one will outwork me. "
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Minneapolis in 2021.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Globus grew up in Minneapolis. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with bachelors' degrees in business, political science, and speech-communications in 1989. In 1993, he earned a J.D. from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. His professional experience includes founding Global One Commercial, a real estate brokerage and development services company.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Minneapolis in 2021.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I’m a three-term former state representative, climate strategist, transformation scholar, and small business owner. While I served in the Minnesota Legislature from 2007-12, I was elected by my colleagues to serve as Assistant Majority Leader for one term. I chief-authored significant climate policy, the Toxic Free Kids Act, and stronger regulation of stranger-originated life insurance. Following my service in the legislature, I built and led a leadership program for graduate students, serving students from across the entire University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. I then served as the Chief Resilience Officer in 2017, designing, leading, and documenting the community engagement process that laid the foundation for a Minneapolis resilience strategy. I now run my own business Democracy and Climate LLC, which provides strategy, policy, research, writing, and consulting services at the intersection of climate and public work. I am running for mayor because I love Minneapolis, and I have the skill, relationships and experience to serve effectively in this moment in our city. I have the commitment to making a city that works better for everyone, and a track record of working within large, public bureaucracies to make them work better for the times we are in. "
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Minneapolis in 2021.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "My name is Sheila Nezhad and I’m running to be your next mayor. I’m a community organizer, renter, queer woman, and daughter of an immigrant. My motto is “from the streets to the spreadsheets” because I believe the best solutions come from people who are leading change on the ground. I was born in Fargo to two teachers, my Persian immigrant father and Anishinaabe-Scandinavian mother. They instilled in me a love of public service and justice. I have spent over a decade working at the intersection of civil rights and public policy. Last year, I was out alongside the young people, parents, community elders, and faith leaders who were all demanding justice for George Floyd. In my work, I’ve trained hundreds of people on how to get involved in the city budget process and pushed the city to reinvest $8 million from the police budget into mental health services and violence prevention last fall. As mayor, I will invest the most in our safety and youth programming. It takes policy knowledge and community connection to be an effective elected official, that’s why I am asking to be your #1 ranked choice for Mayor this November. "
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Minneapolis in 2021.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I'm a writer and inventor, trying to help the Republican party move beyond Trump -- and to become a respected and competitive organization in Minneapolis and other big-city political communities. I believe America's big cities need annual elections to break up a kind of monopoly of Democratic machines, activists, and special interests. When there is only one election every four years -- 100% of all eligible voters are suppressed the other three years. With annual elections, during Presidential years, and State-election mid-term elections, local and municipal issues can be made a legitimate part of the campaign. As a semi-retired person, I've also been driving a school bus part-time -- I have some innovative ideas about how to solve the school bus driver crisis -- a nationwide problem."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Minneapolis in 2021.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Turner attended St. Mary's College of Minnesota in 1992 and Morris Brown College from 1993 to 1997. His professional experience includes founding and running Youth Leadership Minnesota (YLM), a youth mentoring organization, and Urban Pride, a clothing line.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Minneapolis in 2021.
Ranked choice voting in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, along with several other cities in Minnesota, including St. Paul, uses ranked choice voting for some city offices. The city first used rank choice voting in 2009, after approving the change in 2006.[21] Under a ranked choice voting system, voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots. If a candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, he or she is declared the winner. If no candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated.
In Minneapolis, voters can rank up to three choices. According to Greta Kaul in the MinnPost, "When votes are tabulated, if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, the candidates with no mathematical chance of winning are dropped as a group. Ballots with those candidates as their first choice are reallocated to remaining candidates according to their second or third choices. The process then continues, with the candidate with the least votes dropped after each round, until one candidate reaches at least 50 percent of the votes plus one vote, not including ballots that were exhausted because none of the choices they listed were still in the running."[22]
Below you will find a handout on ranked choice voting provided by the City of Minneapolis.[23] Click here to access the handout in several different languages.
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
If you are aware of polls conducted in this race, please email us.
Campaign finance
Noteworthy endorsements
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.
Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available.
| Noteworthy endorsements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Frey (D) | Knuth (D) | Nezhad (D) |
| Elected officials | |||
| Gov. Tim Walz (D) | ✔ | ||
| Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) | ✔ | ||
| Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)[24] | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) | ✔ | ||
| Minneapolis City Councilor Lisa Bender | ✔ | ||
| Minneapolis City Councilor Steve Fletcher (D) | ✔ | ||
| Minneapolis City Councilor Jeremy Schroeder (D) | ✔ | ||
| State Sen. Erin Murphy (D) | ✔ | ||
| Individuals | |||
| Former Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles-Belton | ✔ | ||
| Former state Rep. Jean Wagenius (D) | ✔ | ||
| Organizations | |||
| AFSCME Council 5 | ✔ | ||
| IUPAT DC 82 | ✔ | ||
| Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades Council | ✔ | ||
| Minneapolis Firefighters Local 82 | ✔ | ||
| SEIU MN State Council | ✔ | ||
| Teamsters Joint Council 32 | ✔ | ||
| TakeAction MN | ✔ | ||
| MN 350 Action | ✔ | ||
| Minnesota DFL Environmental Caucus | ✔ | ||
| OutFront Minnesota Action (2nd rank choice) | ✔ | ||
| Sierra Club Minneapolis Political Committee | ✔ | ||
| OutFront Minnesota Action (1st rank choice) | ✔ | ||
| Run For Something 2021 | ✔ | ||
| Twin Cities DSA | ✔ | ||
Candidate charter amendment positions
Minneapolis residents voted on three proposed amendments to the city charter on November 2.[25][26][27] Click "show" to see where the mayoral candidates stand on the proposed amendments.
Question 1
A "yes" vote supported this charter amendment to adopt an executive mayor and legislative council form of government, eliminate the Executive Commission, and give the mayor authority over city departments, excluding the clerk's and treasurer's offices. |
A "no" vote opposed this charter amendment, thus maintaining the Executive Commission, which consisted of the mayor, council president, and three additional council members. |
Click here to learn more about Question 1.
| Positions of Minneapolis 2021 mayoral candidates on Question 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Position | Statement | |
| Jacob Frey |  |
Frey: “Minneapolis has a unique — and uniquely frustrating — form of government. The ambiguity around the separation of legislative and executive roles has done a disservice both to city staff and the residents we serve. There’s a reason most mid to large cities, whether you’re talking about Saint Paul or New York City, choose a clear executive mayor and clear legislative council model over ours.”[28] | |
| AJ Awed | |
Awed: "Assembled by the Charter Commission, the 'Government Structure Work Group' report summary (Dec. 15, 2020) explained in some detail that our city 'lacks strong accountability, is overly complex, and highly inefficient'. It is well past time that the City Council agreed to a more purely legislative role in policymaking. And it is well past time for the city to ban the City Council from purporting to direct or supervise any executive branch employee."[29] | |
| Katherine Knuth |  |
Knuth: "I was undecided for quite a while. But I recently came out in opposition to charter amendment no. 1. Really what pushed me over the top is that we are at such a critical moment in Minneapolis on building trust in our local government, in our democracy and particularly in our multiracial democracy. And I think the way charter amendment no. 1 has been put on the ballot and how it has been campaigned for, I think it will undermine our ability to really build the kind of trust among and with different communities in our city to forge our path forward."[30] | |
| Sheila Nezhad | |
Nezhad: “As a community organizer, I know the importance of having as many voices represented in decision-making as possible and I have concerns about the equity implications of moving to a strong mayor system.”[31] | |
Question 2
A "yes" vote supported this charter amendment to: * replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a Department of Public Safety (DPS); * have the mayor nominate, and the city council approve, a person to serve as DPS commissioner; and * remove language from the Minneapolis City Charter on the police department, including minimum police funding requirements and the mayor's control of the police department. |
A "no" vote opposed this charter amendment, thus maintaining the existing structure of the Minneapolis Police Department in the Minneapolis Charter. |
Click here to learn more about Question 2.
| Positions of Minneapolis 2021 mayoral candidates on Question 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Position | Statement | |
| Jacob Frey | |
Frey: "I don’t support shifting the reporting structure so that the head of public safety would have 14 bosses—13 council members and a mayor. When everybody is in charge, nobody is in charge.”[32] | |
| AJ Awed | |
Awed: "We need to get racism out of the system, and we need to obviously have a new department of public safety. This is not the way forward, though. It has to be done through a very thoughtful approach where communities of color are leading on the issue.”[33] | |
| Katherine Knuth | |
Knuth: "I support charter amendment no. 2 to create a new Department of Public Safety because I think, and I think Minneapolis residents believe, the status quo on public safety and policing is not acceptable. And it's not acceptable for kids to get shot in our community. And it is not acceptable for police to kill people in our community. And I think charter amendment no. 2 gives us the best framework to make the most effective safety system in the city."[30] | |
| Sheila Nezhad | |
Nezhad: "I helped write the Yes4Minneapolis Amendment, and have a strong plan for its implementation. As Mayor, I will budget to keep fully funded 911 & 311 dispatch and response. I think 888 public safety staff is a great number, and under my leadership we’re going to diversity staff to fit the needs of calls: more mental health workers, more harm reduction providers, more youth outreach works, more gun violence prevention specialists, and survivor-led, survivor-designed services for those who have experienced sexual and domestic violence."[34] | |
Question 3
A "yes" vote supported this amendment to allow the city council to enact rent control by ordinance. |
A "no" vote opposed this amendment, thus continuing to prohibit the city council from enacting rent control. |
Click here to learn more about Question 3.
| Positions of Minneapolis 2021 mayoral candidates on Question 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Position | Statement | |
| Jacob Frey | |
Frey: "Under this plan, elected representatives, community partners, subject matter experts, and Minneapolis residents will have access to policymaking decisions and policy creation, as we saw with hundreds of meaningful meetings with a diverse group of stakeholders throughout the push to increase the minimum wage. And the ultimate power remains with the voters. According to state law, an ordinance developed through this path would still be brought before voters as the ultimate decision makers when it comes to enacting a policy."[35] | |
| AJ Awed | |
Awed: "We need another tool in our city’s 'housing toolbox' to address the housing needs of all. Minneapolis must rise to the challenge of making rents stable and predictable for all who chose to call Minneapolis home.[29] | |
| Katherine Knuth | |
Knuth: "The rent control charter amendment does not create rent control in the city, it creates the ability for us to pass a rent control ordinance. In designing this ordinance, I will engage with the many impacted by it with a strong focus on renters, renter-organizing groups, and small landlords. My goal will be to create more security for renters while also making sure small landlords don't get pushed out of the city."[36] | |
| Sheila Nezhad | |
Nezhad: "We must develop a new approach to housing across the city that sets people up to succeed and stay in safe, dignified housing and supports small businesses by protecting them from the harms of gentrification. Rent control is a critical component of that new approach."[37] | |
Campaign themes
- See also: Campaign themes
Jacob Frey
Jacob Frey's campaign website stated the following.
| “ |
PRIORITIES & ACCOMPLISHMENTS AFFORDABLE HOUSING I campaigned on the premise that housing is a right and the promise of working toward ensuring that every Minneapolis resident has access to safe, stable, and affordable housing throughout the city. When our administration took office, Minneapolis had lost 10,000 units of affordable housing over the prior 10 years and had no clear action plan for redressing the intentional segregation and racial injustices promoted by more than a century of our city’s housing policies. My administration’s affordable housing agenda has focused on 4 pillars:
Some of our administration’s top achievements include:
Creating the More Representation Minneapolis initiative which provides funding to LegalAid and the Volunteer Lawyers Network to provide direct, pro-bono representation for Minneapolis renters facing eviction or seeking to enforce their legal rights against landlords.
ECONOMIC INCLUSION I believe that economic growth is only a measure of success when it creates opportunities and prosperity that reach Minneapolis residents in every corner of the city, especially those that face the greatest barriers. My administration’s commitment to economic inclusion has centered Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and immigrants as partners and decision-makers for charting their communities’ economic future. Minneapolis faces a pivotal opportunity as we re-emerge from the challenges beset upon cities across the country by the coronavirus and a legacy of systemic racism. Our administration will continue to stay focused on policies that expand opportunity to everyone in the city, but especially to those who have been historically disenfranchised. Some of our administration’s top achievements include:
Allocating a $2.5 million initial investment to establish a city fund that provides no-interest loans for business owners in racially segregated areas with concentrated poverty to purchase the commercial properties they currently lease, helping to ensure that they are able to be the beneficiaries of, rather than displaced by, increases to property values.
PUBLIC & COMMUNITY SAFETY Our administration has consistently supported a both-and approach to community-led public safety solutions beyond traditional policing, as well as working alongside Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) leadership to build a better and more accountable department. From dramatically increasing body camera compliance to overhauling the use of force policy, our administration has issued extensive reforms to the department that enhance transparency and accountability and prioritize community relations. Since taking office, we have diligently pursued deep structural change within the department, maintaining a focus on the persistent work of changing department culture. Some of our administration’s top achievements include:
Overhauling the MPD’s use of force policy to restrict use of force as much as can be allowed by state law, as well as expanding the definition of use of force to include (though not limited to) the improper unholstering of weapon and contact, direct or indirect, that causes pain, injury, or the restriction of movement.
CLIMATE, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT Our administration recognizes that climate change is an intersectional issue. It affects every portion of our population, though, more importantly, it often impacts our BIPOC communities the most. Minneapolis’ most underserved communities bear the legacy of decisions made without their input and consequently are now among the most impacted by pollution. Our administration recognizes that justice must also mean climate justice, and our plans have targeted key investments into those communities, as well as the city broadly. Some of our administration’s top achievements include:
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AJ Awed
AJ Awed's campaign website stated the following.
| “ |
HOUSING FOR ALL“Every city must house every one of its residents and visitors properly. I believe everyone in Minneapolis deserves a space to call ‘home’. The city can – and must – do more.” Housing should be viewed as a fundamental human right, not a commodity that some cannot access or afford. There are more renters than homeowners in the city – and right now one of the most pressing needs facing everyone in Minneapolis is housing. The need for affordable and stable housing is intensifying as the city continues to grow. Addressing the affordability issue will require bold policies – and funding – capable of ensuring affordable, neighborhood housing for all. The city must lead and support actions and efforts that provide for more public housing, rent control, unique developments, and special supports for post-pandemic needs. WE MUST INCREASE AND IMPROVE HOUSING OPPORTUNTIES IN MINNEAPOLIS. From ‘tiny home’ villages to town homes and public housing communities to neighborhood homes – the city must ensure everyone has the opportunity to find a space to call ‘home’ in Minneapolis. Not only because it is the ‘right’ thing to do – but because it is a fundamental responsibility of the modern city to ensure everyone is properly accommodated. We cannot ‘criminalize’ homelessness. Nor can we have a city that has unhoused people living on the streets or along highways. We cannot allow people to live in public transportation or parks. It is not right and it is not dignified. These are signs of failed government leadership and must not be allowed to continue. Ensuring everyone has a ‘home’ must be addressed as aggressively as the recent pandemic – with a since of urgency and compassion and dignity. Our residents deserve better. We must have a city that is building the amount and kinds of housing necessary to minimize or even prevent these issues from arising – and as Mayor, AJ Awed will take action. AJ believes housing is a fundamental human right, and not a commodity. But he knows how housing is currently developed and he knows it will take creative thinking and private – and government partners – to meet the housing needs of everyone in Minneapolis. We must take bolder steps to solves these issues – and we must recommit our city to addressing them directly by advocating for new taxing authority and funding for these efforts. We cannot rely on US Government pandemic funds alone – the City of Minneapolis must be given new taxing authority so that funding for these efforts are sustainable to meet them. Housing Opportunities in Minneapolis Currently, rent increases outpace wage increases – leaving many families struggling to afford groceries, clothes, school supplies, medical emergencies, and more. Right now, the most pressing need facing Minneapolis is affordable housing. This was true before the COVID-19 pandemic, but with workers unemployed, the need for affordable and stable housing is only intensifying as the city grows. Addressing the affordability crisis will require bold policies capable of ensuring affordable housing for all. Together we must lay the foundation and funding for future housing stability, we need to refocus city policy to protect current occupants, repair public housing, and build new affordable housing. Rent Control and Stabilization AJ believes we must curb high rent increases for landlords who own 5 or more properties – tying increases to the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for All Urban Consumers. The City of Minneapolis must not allow large rent increases to displace families and long-time residents from living in their neighborhoods. As your Mayor, AJ will continue to work alongside Minneapolis tenants and housing advocates to implement a universal Rent Control ordinance that will work for everyone in Minneapolis. Universal rent control or stabilization ordinances that are properly funded and implemented in Minneapolis would allow us to:
Protecting and Expanding Public Housing With an average ‘blue collar’ worker making $33,762 – and many making much less – the only really true affordable housing option for these residents is public housing. While the majority of the city’s affordable housing initiatives target households earning $50,000-$60,000 a year, there are very few options outside of public housing that address the needs of those earning $30,000 and below. Public housing is not only attainable for low-income residents, but it guarantees affordability by capping rental payments to 30% of the tenant’s actual monthly income, thereby ensuring residents are not cost-burdened. Unfortunately, in recent years, the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority, with the support of City Council, has moved forward with privatization plans for the Elliot Twins high-rises, as well as the privatization of all single-family “scattered site” homes throughout Minneapolis. Turning over ownership to the same private investors and developers who created our current housing crisis will not solve our affordability issues. In fact, it will likely lead to further displacement for our most vulnerable residents. In a ‘Better Minneapolis’, our public housing and housing options will be a source of pride for our city – and a place of comfort, safety, and stability for all who call the city ‘home’ or just to visit. AS MAYOR, AJ AWED WILL ...
STRONG WORKERS + BUSINESSES“I will be a champion for neighborhood workers, businesses, and entrepreneurs – and ensure they are valued, respected, and have fair opportunities to compete against monopolistic corporations and elites.” Small business is the driving force of our city’s commerce. AJ will work hard to push for policies that support small businesses, encourage entrepreneurship, and promote innovation. AJ has worked in small businesses in Minneapolis – and he knows that these businesses and their workers are the source of most of the jobs and activity in every neighborhood in the city. Its more important than ever that commit to getting the city’s workers back on their feet and small businesses reopened. Entrepreneurship and creativity are at the heart of every neighborhood in the city and make them unique – and we must oppose gentrification or displacement without comprehensive consultation and support from neighborhoods and marginalized communities. LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS NEED TO BE SAVED AND SUPPORTE Minneapolis is home to hundreds of small businesses, many owned and operated by immigrants and people of color. These small businesses are essential to the fabric of our city and our cultural identities. Prior to COVID-19, small businesses were already experiencing the pressure of gentrification and rising commercial rents; however, with the economic impact of COVID-19, they are now even more vulnerable to displacement. We must provide more support for small businesses to survive, grow, and thrive. AS MAYOR, AJ AWED WILL ...
Champion low interest loans and other forms of support for neighborhood-based small businesses and entrepreneurs GREEN CITY FUTURE + INITIATIVES“The issue of climate change is one that our city simply cannot afford to ignore. We all must commit to chart a new course using ‘Green New Deal’ approaches before we condemn future generations to suffer from our lack of commitment and action.” The greatest environmental challenge facing Minneapolis is climate change. AJ will act on climate change. His admiration will focus on continuing to move the city’s climate action planning forward. To maximize the opportunities in the city to use clean, renewable energy. We must implement land-use and transportation policies that reduce emissions, encourage transit usage, and fosters the use of zero emission vehicles. And we must not stop there. We must implement ‘zero waste’ strategies, invest in storm-water infrastructure, and plant more trees through out our neighborhoods and along our streets. WE MUST DO OUR PART AS A CITY TO REDUCE OUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. We must continue our ambitious goals as a community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Minneapolis with an emphasis on protecting those who have contributed the least to the climate crisis but are most impacted by it—our BIPOC, immigrant, and low-income communities. For decades, the City of Minneapolis’ urban planning decisions have sacrificed the health of residents in the name of industry and economic profit, resulting in disproportionately high rates of asthma, cancer, birth defects, and cardiovascular disease. We must take swift action to reverse the health inequities that have come as result of these racist and classist policy decisions and do our part as a city to stop the global climate crisis. 'We can have a ‘Greener City’ Climate change’s local impacts must be reversed. Our city will support ‘Green New Deal’ initiatives. Together we will radically address local climate change impacts and lead to a more equitable economy with increased employment and widespread financial security for all – and greener streets and neighborhoods. AS MAYOR, AJ AWED WILL ...
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Clint Conner
Clint Conner's campaign website stated the following.
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Safe streets The safety and well-being of every Minneapolitan and every visitor to our city – no matter who they are – is my top priority as Mayor. We need the Minneapolis Police Department to help keep us safe, and we need a Mayor who will make the police department better. We need a leader who will work every day to restore faith and trust in the department. We need a leader who knows that this work will be an ongoing process that requires partnership and buy-in from individuals and communities across our city. I have heard some people make the excuse that the Mayor lacks the power to change how our police force operates. That is just plain wrong. Our City Charter vests all authority for the establishment, maintenance, appointment, removal, discipline, control, and supervision of the police force in the Mayor, subject to certain limitations. There is no time for nibbling around the edges with words on paper. Our force is down nearly 200 officers on Jacob Frey’s watch. We need a Mayor who will immediately reset the narrative so that our police know their service is appreciated. As the leader of the police force, I will roll up my sleeves, dig in, and create an environment in which our best civil servants succeed. I will do this side-by-side with Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, the best chief of police in the country for dealing with the issues before us. At the same time, we need a Mayor who will hold our police to a high level of professionalism and accountability, who will not tolerate systemic racism, and who will uproot and expose problems for the community to see. We need a Mayor who does not tolerate bullies, whether they are on the street or in the police force. I have been standing up to bullies my entire life, from the bully who sent me to the emergency room in middle school to the bully who came to my neighborhood in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder armed with knives and a hammer. With strong leadership we will stand up to them together. As Mayor, I am committed to:
With my leadership and bold action, we can make this plan a reality. Stable housing Home is the foundation for everything. Yet current leadership is not doing enough to provide stable, affordable, and livable housing for all. All Minneapolitans deserve stable housing. I know that far too many of our neighbors are living in desperation because they don’t have a place they can call home, or they are one step away from homelessness every month. Many more have homes they cannot trust - because of dangerous living conditions or unexpected changes in rental terms. Minneapolis needs more stable, truly affordable housing. But stability and affordability are meaningless when housing is uninhabitable. We cannot pledge to provide affordable housing while ignoring powerful landlords who disregard city code and the well-being of their tenants. Too many Minneapolitans are paying rent to live in substandard housing. While most landlords do the right thing, providing essential and safe housing opportunities for our residents, I have seen firsthand living conditions involving mold and infestations that are making Minneapolis children and their families seriously ill. As Mayor, I am committed to bringing safe, stable, and livable housing to all Minneapolitans. Together, we will:
Small business boom Small businesses are vital to the future of Minneapolis. These businesses need a major boost, and quickly. Small businesses are critically important to the economic health of our minority and immigrant communities and they facilitate cultural interconnectedness in our city. Moreover, the health of the Twin Cities area’s Fortune 500 businesses is inextricably linked to the health of our small business community. As Senator Paul Wellstone famously said, “we all do better when we all do better.” As Mayor, I am committed to facilitating a small business boom. Together, we will:
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Mark Globus
Mark Globus' campaign website stated the following.
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REIMAGINING LAW ENFORCEMENTI believe The Nicollet Mall should be as safe as Main Street Disneyland. We must reimagine law enforcement as it is the Number One issue that faces the City of Minneapolis right now.
JOBS AND THE ECONOMYI am a candidate that understands jobs. The entire restaurant and hotel and convention business has been decimated in the City of Minneapolis. Recent reports show that Minneapolis is the weakest hotel market in the entire United States. The City needs a Chief Executive who clearly understands that the current business environment in this City needs to be revived in a big bold way. Now more than ever the City of Minneapolis needs to reposition itself and market itself after the two (2) major body blows of Covid-19 and the George Floyd killing. I am a person with a marketing driven mentality that can make certain that Minneapolis is getting more than its fair share of business deals and job creating transactions and opportunities. We need to make sure that jobs aren’t going to Milwaukee and Des Moines and Fargo and Chicago and Kansas City. We need an individual who isn’t afraid to sell our City. Because frankly Minneapolis needs the orders and Minneapolis needs to reposition itself and the perception of the City in the national media and to business and leisure travelers in a smart, innovative, memorable and lasting way. Minneapolis needs to come out of the blocks fast and strong on the marketing front or we will never regain our position as one of America’s most leading and progressive Cities. PARKING AND TRANSPORTATIONSomething seems to be going very wrong with a City posture and policy that is comfortable with eliminating street parking for cars and in its place installing concrete and curbline. This new policy is devastating to local businesses and it is destructive to neighborhoods where people have absolutely nowhere to park. Every parking spot that is eliminated in this City makes life measurably harder for residents who need parking for their vehicles and for people who must travel to the City for business or personal reasons. This new movement is a wholly misguided policy driven by people who must have their own personal drivers or personal assistants and who are never forced to find a spot on the street to park. A city that has no parking is a very tough place to live. A city that has no parking is an extremely challenging place to do business. The leadership in the City must be engaged every day working hard to make life easier for the residents of the City – not thinking up new policies that make life more frustrating, difficult and challenging. In my opinion it is time for more common sense at City Hall. OVERHAUL OF THE PARK BOARDThe Park Board needs to be changed from an elected body to an appointed board. This is to help guarantee that it’s Board Members have some particular expertise in parks, landscape design and architecture and not simply a political agenda. The Minneapolis Park Board was once a great team of civic minded individuals and it was one of the driving reasons that Minneapolis has such a world-class system park system. As I look across our current park system – I find a great deal to be desired. I have found that over time it appears that the Park Board Commissioners are more interested in scoring political points than in beautifying our parks and trails system. If the decision doesn’t involve the repair or maintenance or expansion of something park, lake, athletic field or trail related . . . the Park Board should not be getting involved. We must also question what is the current expertise of the people sitting on the Park Board? We need people who are experts in botany, black top, road surfaces, irrigation systems, drainage, architecture and landscape architecture. We don’t need people who are there purely to hold a political office. That is why I am asking that a change be made to the Minneapolis Charter allowing the Mayor to appoint experts in the field to the Park Board to help oversee this highly important institution that is integral to a vibrant and beautiful Minneapolis. [38] |
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Katherine Knuth
Katherine Knuth's campaign website stated the following.
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Here’s what I believe:
Moving toward a truly just future requires courageous, bold action – from each of us. We can build the Minneapolis we deserve right now. I hope you will join in this work. We want to use this campaign to help Minneapolis move through this unsteady moment in a way that helps us build the city— and the city government—we want and deserve. Doing so will take engaging in thoughtful conversation, healing as individuals and as a community, and stepping forward with purpose toward a changed city. It will take courage, creativity, and commitment. We need to use and build tools, processes, and spaces where people can work across differences of race, geography, class, and generation to to share ideas, experiences, wisdom, hopes, and fears. We need to wrestle with the challenges we face in real and, let’s be honest, challenging ways. While doing so, we need to hold onto the promise that doing so will help us move toward a city in which every person in Minneapolis can thrive. I am excited to connect with you throughout this campaign – in online community meetings and events and on the phone (and hopefully in-person soon) – as we work to reshape our city into the home each of us deserves and dreams to make real. In the weeks and months to come, we will be engaging with leaders and communities across the city to build out a community-informed vision and supporting plans. Centering racial justice and antiracism in all policies and processes.Minneapolis is at a moment of reckoning on racial justice. Decades of policy rooted in white supremacy have resulted in unacceptable levels of disparity along lines of race and class. The geography of our city—and things like home ownership and pollution exposures—still reflects the racist zoning and redlining in the first half of the 20th-century. Police violence harms certain communities—particularly Black, Native, brown, disabled, immigrant—more than others. In order to build a city that truly works for everyone, we need to actively understand how we got here, repair harms, and build deliberate government policies, systems, and supports to advance racial equity. Our aim is to make antiracism and racial justice at the core of all policy and the processes used to develop policy. This aim is reflected throughout the vision and policy below.
Building a new public safety system that honors the dignity of all people.Every person in Minneapolis, no matter their race, gender, class, zip code or level of ability deserves to feel safe in their home and throughout our city. This is the foundational value underlying my holistic public safety plan to Build Community Safety and Transform Policing. Minneapolis needs a public safety system that invests in violence prevention and intervention at meaningful levels and includes police as part of this holistic vision. We need to ask police to do less overall, so they can focus on what we really need them to do, which includes responding to, investigating, and actually solving violent crime. We also need to rebuild trust between MPD and Minneapolis residents. Rebuilding this trust means much more than a PR campaign. It means actual change in our policing system so policing no longer harms people in our community, particularly Black, brown, Indigenous, and immigrant neighbors. I am committed to unequivocal transparency in policing, both in the racial injustices of our current system and in police misconduct. I will champion accountability based on this transparency. Our current system was never intended to keep all people safe. We cannot afford to continue to invest in a system of policing that fails to keep all of us safe, that fails people in marginalized communities. That’s why I am in support of the public safety charter amendment, and my vision for implementation includes police as an essential part of a holistic public safety approach. Minneapolis has an opportunity to lead the nation and the world in building a public safety system that values all people. I believe we are up to the challenge. Check out my comprehensive public safety plan to Build Community Safety and Transform Policing that I created with input from dozens of policy experts and community leaders.
Ensuring safe housing for all.=Housing is a human right. An affordable, safe, and stable place to call home is the foundation of living with security, opportunity, and dignity. The effects of redlining and other racist housing policies in our city continue to be barriers to housing and further perpetuate the deep racial wealth gap. We have a responsibility to make sure we are moving unhoused people toward stable housing and increasing access to sustainable affordable housing options for every person and family, especially those with low-incomes, renters, retired and elderly people, people with disabilities, citizens returning from incarceration, and anyone else facing systemic barriers to housing.
Addressing climate change at the urgency and scale that is required.The 2020s will be the defining decade on climate action. Minneapolis should be at the forefront of climate action. Minneapolis has taken good steps on climate change, but more than good work is needed in this moment. Our city needs a Mayor who puts climate action as a central to building a city that is safe and healthy for every resident. The science of climate change shows that we need large-scale, fast action now to reduce emissions across sectors and make sure every person can thrive through the climate change era. Even more, we need action that creates equitable access to the benefits of a clean energy transition, provides accessible low-carbon transportation options, and builds climate resilience for everyone. Climate resilience for everyone will require targeted efforts in communities that are more vulnerable because of systemic racism, historic underinvestment, and financial insecurity. It also means creating pathways into the work of building the clean energy economy and climate resilience for everyone – Black, brown, white, Indigenous, immigrant, young, and old.
Advancing a multiracial democracy.Our future as a democracy depends on advancing a multiracial democracy built by us and for us. In Minneapolis, we have the opportunity to show the world how to do this. We can advance a truly multiracial democracy in which every person lives with dignity and can act with power in public life. The current crisis of our democracy—one that we saw unfold in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol— is rooted in systemic racism and historical harms. Now, more than ever, it’s essential that we work to understand, reconcile, and repair harms so we can rebuild a strong democracy and future that works for all of us—Black, brown, Indigenous, immigrant, white. Together we can reimagine and reshape our governance processes and create pathways into a public life for each person in the city.
Building prosperity for all people.Despite promises to address deep inequities, Minneapolis still leads the country in racial disparities in unemployment, housing, health, and income. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought increased economic instability to so many people and families, and it’s only increased the deep wealth gap we have between low-income people and wealthy people in this city. It’s essential that we work across multiple sectors to rethink and reimagine how we deliver pathways to prosperity for everyone in Minneapolis. We need to build infrastructures and supports that advance workforce development and family-wage income opportunities, and we need to ensure that we center the human dignity and self-determination of all people to choose what kind of life they want to build for themselves and their families. We can build a city where people and small businesses flourish and everyone can share in the prosperity of what it means to live in a vibrant, resilient, healthy community.
Centering economic justice and workers' rights.We need to build an economy that works for every worker—where everyone makes a living wage and can join a union. Our city must be willing to protect and prioritize the lowest paid and most marginalized workers. As a city, we have to build an environment where we don’t fall into a scarcity mindset. We can’t continue to pit small businesses and workers against each other while allowing corporations to not contribute their fair share.
Demanding environmental justice for all people.Communities that have faced disinvestment, where mostly Black and Indigenous people live, have been forced for too long to carry the weight of pollution and environmental degradation. This has real impacts, like higher rates of asthma in the Philips neighborhood and communities on the Northside. We must invest in communities that have borne the brunt of past environmental racism and injustice and work with people in these communities to find and fund solutions.
Improving transit + investing in climate-resilient infrastructure.Our streets should be safe and comfortable for people to get where they’re going, however they choose to travel. That means vibrant public spaces, safe and welcoming sidewalks, green infrastructure, protected bikeways, and transit that works. Historically, our transit system has perpetuated injustice. This continues today as busy roads bring increased pollution and accidents to the communities that surround them. We can undo this, and build a transit system that aligns with our values.
Advancing public health.The health of our communities is an environmental, racial, and social justice issue that demands all of us to rise up to advance the health and well-being of everyone in our city right now. Our air quality is a public health issue that must be addressed. Asbestos and lead in our buildings and homes is a public health issue that requires strict regulation. Our deep racial disparities in this city are a public health issue that call for immediate action. Substance use disorder is a public health issue that requires us to advance harm reduction strategies and meet people where they are. And the mental health condition of our friends, family, and neighbors requires us to work towards solutions and supports that center their well-being.
Rebuilding with equity and resilience after COVID-19 and civil unrest.=The COVID crisis, recent civil unrest, and the health and economic fallout reinforce what we already knew. Our city isn’t working for all people. Our city has significant work to do to rebuild in light of immediate crisis. We also need to do so in ways that make us truly resilient and able respond to crises – whether health, safety, economic, or climate – in effective and equitable ways going forward. So many people in our city have already stepped up to help each other, to support struggling families and small businesses, to help shelter unhoused people, and more. This work shows the best of who we are as a city, and we need a city government that will partner with, support, and resource the leadership we are seeing all over the city. As we move through immediate crisis and look forward, we will also need to make sure our rebuilding efforts center the need to maintain and grow opportunity and wealth in historically-marginalized communities.
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Sheila Nezhad
Sheila Nezhad's campaign website stated the following.
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A Just Transition: A People’s Plan for MinneapolisThe term “Just Transition” came out of the climate and labor movements. It refers to a set of principles, processes, and practices to move from our extractive economy to a regenerative one. The organizers say, “The transition itself must be just and equitable; redressing past harms and creating new relationships of power for the future through reparations.” In Minneapolis, we get to choose what comes next. The pandemic and uprising taught us that we have collective power to build systems that work better to care for those who are most vulnerable. Just like we build wind turbines so we can shut down coal plants, we can build city government that treats Black lives as sacred, supports our ability to thrive, shares power, and finally gives everyone some peace. From corporate control to people power It’s time that our city builds policies and services that are led by and for all the people of Minneapolis, not just special interests that have the deepest pockets. We can chart a new course forward, expanding our democracy, protecting workers, and making reparations that are integral to a just transition. Decision-making everyone can join No initiative, no matter how sensible or strategic, will succeed if the community isn’t bought in. especially Black, brown, and Indigenous people at the table. My administration will focus on creating more access to City Hall and opportunities for communities to shape the policies that affect their lives - especially Black, brown and Indigenous community members.
Reparations and Restoration In order to repair the harm to our Black & Indigenous communities, we need Truth & Reparations. Our city was built on stolen land with stolen labor, and it’s time for justice, healing, and repair.
Protecting workers Workers deserve fair wages, safe workplaces, and protection from workplace exploitation.
From scarcity to abundance Abundance means we have enough for everyone, and no longer feed the systems that only offer housing, access, and self-determination for a few. Healing through public art
Housing with dignity The pandemic taught us that so much more is possible in housing than we had seen. We saw that empty hotels can become dignified shelter, unemployment benefits can actually be enough to survive on, we can stop eviction & utility shut offs, and organizing allows us to build power with our neighbors. Housing first policy Minneapolis needs culturally competent, stable housing services. Right now it is difficult to find appropriate shelter and transitional housing spaces that use harm reduction, allow people to live with their chosen family, or with their pets. That is why I support a housing-first policy model, including
Renters’ Rights Half of Minneapolis residents are renters, and 47% of renters spend more than a third of their income on housing. Rising rents are driving our city’s BIPOC residents into the suburbs, undermining the benefits of pro-density housing policy. We must create a city that is safe for renters and encourages tenants to lay down roots in their communities.
Revive Public Housing Public housing should remain a public good. Housing should not be treated as a source of profit for millionaires or corporations, but something that is a guaranteed right to every resident of our city.
Disability Justice 11% of Minneapolis Residents live with a disability. We must make sure that everybody has access to transportation, housing, and recreation, according to their own needs.
Programs, jobs, and stable housing for youth
From fear to safety COVID-19 taught us that in order to stay “safe,” we must act as a community. We saw wide-scale collective care: those who sewed masks, delivered groceries, and took action to protect our elders and most vulnerable literally saved lives. COVID-19 also made bright the flames of injustice in our criminal legal system. Hennepin County Jail stopped detaining people accused of low-level offenses, and cut the jail population by 26%, only booking those who were accused of hurting another person. Which made us wonder, why were we incarcerating all those people in the first place? In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, it became clear is that the people of Minneapolis are ready for change. Change that’s big enough to be meaningful can be scary. But like those who came before us who fought for the abolition of slavery, we have a mandate to fight for racial justice, equity, and for institutions that protect Black life from violence. We are changing the world together - and it’s time for city institutions to change with us. Building real public safety Past mayors, including Jacob Frey, have implemented dozens of police reforms in Minneapolis, such as body cameras, “community policing.” As of 2020, every officer had gone through anti-bias training. Despite that, the Minneapolis Police Department murdered George Floyd and is now under state and federal investigation for human rights abuses - abuses that many of you saw with your own eyes. Safe communities start with making sure everyone has a home, enough food, and kids have safe places to play, learn and grow. And when emergencies or harm happens, we need safe options to come help. New Department of Public Safety We must fund more safety options, not heavily armed law enforcement, and the most effective way to do that Pass the #Yes4Minneapolis Charter Amendment. Under our current charter, due to lobbying by the police federation in 1961 , we spend a third of our city budget on the police department. Affordable housing, health care, youth programs, and city services like roads and trash cleanup have to fight over what’s left. A new Department of Public Safety will have:
Craft community-led safety strategies Craft community-led safety strategies Like our predecessors who changed America’s government structure to abolish slavery, give women the right to vote, and pass gay marriage, we get to build government structures that expand protections of human rights and human life. And we have to make sure every voice is included as we build it! As mayor, I will push for a census-style community engagement program where we knock on every door in Minneapolis to learn what safety means to you. We will use those comprehensive results to develop neighborhood safety strategies based in racial justice. Stopping state violence Decriminalization It’s time for Minneapolis to decriminalize homelessness, drugs, drug use and sex work. As mayor, I will work with the city attorney towards decriminalization so we do not funnel more people into our already-bloated criminal legal system, nor continue to endanger residents through evictions, dangerous work conditions, or risk of overdose or HIV transmission. We can push back against the racist American criminal justice system starting with the city attorney through:
Don’t protect and bankroll police violence + surveillance As mayor, I will push for policies that:
Compassionate Protest Response
Addressing the core conditions that lead to violence & harm We build safety by housing people, ending poverty, supporting youth, and teaching healthy relationship skills and consent. We cannot punish our way out of violence. Most crime is not random: it happens because people don’t get their basic needs met. The research has already been done, and as mayor I will push for policies and resources that advance these five proven strategies to stop violence. From climate catastrophe to to community resilience In 2020, our community got in the practice of sharing food, supplies, and developing ways to drive less and spend more time outside. In the year since, gardens have been planted and mutual aid networks have continued on, planting seeds of a green future through local supply chains, fully-liveable neighborhoods, and a green economy. Green jobs Some of the fastest growing jobs in America are in renewable energy & healthcare. To create the same amount of energy, renewable energy jobs employ 2-5 times more people than fossil energy sources. Meanwhile, jobs where residents care for their neighbors, like nurses & youth workers, have low emissions and create more resilient communities. As Mayor I want to plant the seeds for a Green Future by creating a local economy where people earn a living caring for the planet and for each other.
Food access While most of the food we eat is produced outside of Minneapolis, there is still much we can do to reduce our food system’s impact and guarantee access to food as a right for all residents.
End environmental racism We must deindustrialize our Green Zones, so that BIPOC and working-class people have clean air and water. I lived next to the Roof Depot Site in 2018; the air pollution in East Phillips was so bad I had to keep my windows closed on the hottest days of summer. Some of our most diverse & low income neighborhoods have been subjected to the worst environmental pollution from a handful of industrial sites.
Invest in clean energy, divest from pipelines
Resilience & care economy Regardless of what challenges climate change creates for our city, we’re all going to take care of each other no matter what.
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Laverne Turner
Laverne Turner's campaign website stated the following.
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Platform Issues: More funding for Minneapolis Police Department for more officers and resources for a growing population:
Engagement of Minneapolis Youth:
Immediate and total re-opening of Minneapolis while restoring safety and commerce to Downtown Minneapolis:
Ongoing Issues:
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Mayoral partisanship
Mayoral elections were held in 28 of the 100 largest U.S. cities in 2021. Once mayors elected in 2021 assumed office, the mayors of 64 of the country's 100 largest cities were affiliated with the Democratic Party.
The following top-100 mayoral offices changed partisan control in 2021:
- Mayor John J. Lee of North Las Vegas, Nevada, announced that he was changing his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican on April 6, 2021.[39]
- David Bronson (R) was elected as mayor of Anchorage, Alaska, on May 11, 2021. He assumed office on July 1, 2021, replacing nonpartisan Acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson.
What was at stake?
Report a story for this election
Ballotpedia researches issues in local elections across the United States, but information availability is a challenge for us in many areas. Please contact us about the issues that impact your local election. Note that not all submissions may meet Ballotpedia's coverage requirements for inclusion.
Candidate survey
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Minnesota elections, 2021
November 2, 2021
- City elections in Minneapolis, Minnesota (2021)
- Mayoral election in St. Paul, Minnesota (2021)
- Saint Paul Public Schools, Minnesota, elections (2021)
- Minneapolis, Minnesota, Question 1, Executive Mayor and Legislative Council Amendment (November 2021)
- Minneapolis, Minnesota, Question 2, Replace Police Department with Department of Public Safety Initiative (November 2021)
- Minneapolis, Minnesota, Question 3, Allow for Rent Control Amendment (November 2021)
- St. Paul, Minnesota, Question 1, Limits on Rent Increases Initiative (November 2021)
About the city
- See also: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota. As of 2020, its population was 429,954.
City government
- See also: Mayor-council government
The city of Minneapolis uses an uncommon version of a mayor-council government. In Minneapolis, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body while the mayor serves as the city's chief executive. However, the mayor has fewer powers with more limitations than most strong mayor and city council systems.[40]
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for Minneapolis, Minnesota | ||
|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis | Minnesota | |
| Population | 429,954 | 5,706,494 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 53 | 79,631 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 62.9% | 81.6% |
| Black/African American | 18.9% | 6.4% |
| Asian | 5.9% | 4.9% |
| Native American | 1.4% | 1% |
| Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% |
| Other (single race) | N/A | 2.1% |
| Multiple | 6% | 3.9% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 9.6% | 5.5% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 90.4% | 93.4% |
| College graduation rate | 51.8% | 36.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $66,068 | $73,382 |
| Persons below poverty level | 18.3% | 9.3% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
| Minneapolis, Minnesota | Minnesota | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Voters may register by Oct. 12 by 5:00 p.m. with a paper registration form or 11:59 p.m. with an online registration. After this deadline, voters may register when they vote. Click here for more information.
- ↑ Minneapolis city website, "Register to Vote," accessed Aug. 17, 2021
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Register on Election Day," accessed Aug. 17, 2021
- ↑ Minneapolis city website, "Vote early in-person," accessed Aug. 17, 2021
- ↑ Minneapolis city website, "Vote by mail," accessed Aug. 17, 2021
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Do I Need to Bring ID?" accessed Aug. 17, 2021
- ↑ Minneapolis city website, "Where to vote on Election Day," accessed Aug. 17, 2021
- ↑ City of Minneapolis, "Common questions about filing for office," accessed September 10, 2025
- ↑ StarTribune, "Minneapolis elections highlight divide between progressive, moderate Democrats," September 11, 2021
- ↑ The Minnesota Daily, "Yes 4 Minneapolis public safety amendment explained," September 12, 2021
- ↑ CBS Minnesota, "Frey’s Veto Of 1 Rent Control Charter Amendment Stands, Other Goes To Ballot," August 13, 2021
- ↑ MPR News, "What to know about the ‘strong mayor’ ballot amendment in Minneapolis," August 31, 2021
- ↑ Kare 11, "Minneapolis city council overrides mayor's veto of ballot language to replace MPD," August 20, 2021
- ↑ AJ Awed for Mayor, "September 14, 2021 post," September 14, 2021
- ↑ Kate Knuth 2021 campaign website, "Vision," accessed September 21, 2021
- ↑ Sheila for the People, "A Just Transition," accessed September 20, 2021
- ↑ Star Tribune, "Minneapolis elections highlight divide between progressive, moderate Democrats," September 11, 2021
- ↑ MPR News, "The man who was mayor of Minneapolis for just one day," November 7, 2017
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "2020 General Election for U.S. President: Biden-Trump Margin by County," accessed September 19, 2021
- ↑ In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
- ↑ MPR News, "Ranked choice voting, explained," August 31, 2021
- ↑ MinnPost, "An internal poll showed Frey with a 19-point lead in the Minneapolis mayoral race. But in an RCV election, he could still lose.," October 26, 2021
- ↑ Minneapolis City of Lakes, "How to complete a RCV ballot," accessed October 27, 2021
- ↑ Patch.com, "Rep. Ilhan Omar Announces Endorsements In Minneapolis Mayor Race," October 20, 2021
- ↑ The Minnesota Daily, "Yes 4 Minneapolis public safety amendment explained," September 12, 2021
- ↑ CBS Minnesota, "Frey’s Veto Of 1 Rent Control Charter Amendment Stands, Other Goes To Ballot," August 13, 2021
- ↑ MPR News, "What to know about the ‘strong mayor’ ballot amendment in Minneapolis," August 31, 2021
- ↑ Minnesota Reformer, "Where Minneapolis mayoral candidates stand on strong mayor ballot question," October 7, 2021
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 'AJ Awed for Mayor, "Star Tribune Editorial Board questions for 2021 Minneapolis mayoral candidates," accessed October 19, 2021
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 MPR News, "Q&A: Minneapolis mayoral candidate Kate Knuth," October 18, 2021
- ↑ Minnesota Reformer, "Where Minneapolis mayoral candidates stand on strong mayor ballot question," October 7, 2021
- ↑ Mother Jones, "“Defund the Police” Was a Rallying Cry in 2020. Minneapolis Is About to Vote on What That Means.," August 19, 2021
- ↑ Sahan Journal, "A luxury rental tax? A citizens assembly to solve public safety? In Minneapolis mayor’s race, AJ Awed adds unconventional solutions to progressive agenda.," October 7, 2021
- ↑ Minnesota Women's Press, "Minneapolis Mayoral Candidates: Public Safety," September 23, 2021
- ↑ Office of Mayor Jacob Frey, "Letter to members of the city council," accessed August 6, 2021
- ↑ Star Tribune, "A guide to the 2021 Minneapolis mayor and City Council candidates," October 1, 2021
- ↑ Star Tribune, "A guide to the 2021 Minneapolis mayor and City Council candidates," October 1, 2021
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 38.3 38.4 38.5 38.6 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Las Vegas Review-Journal, "North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee says he’s becoming a Republican," April 6, 2021
- ↑ MinnPost, "With Minneapolis' weak-mayor system, does it really matter who gets elected?" August 29, 2013
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Marquee, completed election, 2021
