2017 Minneapolis City Council election
The 2017 Minneapolis City Council election was held on November 7, 2017, to elect the members of the Minneapolis City Council . The political composition remained unchanged, with the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) retaining 12 seats and the Green Party of Minnesota one seat. Three DFL incumbents were defeated by intraparty opponents. The new City Council convened on January 8, 2018.
Retiring members
DFL
Elizabeth Glidden, Ward 8[ 2]
Jacob Frey , Ward 3
Ran for mayor of Minneapolis.[ 3]
Electoral system
The 13 members of the City Council were elected from single-member districts via instant-runoff voting , commonly known as ranked choice voting, for four-year terms. Voters had the option of ranking up to three candidates in order of preference. Municipal elections in Minnesota are officially nonpartisan, although candidates were able to identify with a political party on the ballot. Write-in candidates must have filed a request with the Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services Division for votes for them to be counted.
Candidates
Results
Results by 1st Choice Votes
DFL (82.69%)
Green (7.78%)
Socialist (3.24%)
GOP (1.34%)
Libertarian (0.60%)
Independent (3.89%)
Write-in (0.46%)
There were clear winners in several wards on election night. Green Council Member Cam Gordon (Ward 2), who did not have an opponent, won re-election. Other council members who won on election night include DFLers Lisa Goodman (Ward 7), Lisa Bender (Ward 10), Andrew Johnson (Ward 12), and Linea Palmisano (Ward 13). Ward 8 DFL candidate Andrea Jenkins also won, replacing retiring DFL Council Member Elizabeth Glidden. Wards which did not have a clear winner underwent several rounds of vote transfers on November 8.[ 46]
Three incumbents lost re-election. DFL Council President Barb Johnson (Ward 4) lost to DFL candidate Phillipe Cunningham , DFL Council Member Blong Yang (Ward 5) to DFL candidate Jeremiah Ellison, and DFL Council Member John Quincy (Ward 11) to DFL candidate Jeremy Schroeder. DFL Council Members Kevin Reich (Ward 1), Abdi Warsame (Ward 6), and Alondra Cano (Ward 9) retained their seats.
In Ward 3, DFL candidate Steve Fletcher won over Socialist Alternative candidate Ginger Jentzen, who won the most first-choice votes but did not gain sufficient transfer votes. This was the first occurrence of the initial leader not ending up the winner of an election in Minneapolis since it switched to ranked-choice voting in 2009.[ 47] A similar situation subsequently occurred in Ward 4 in which Johnson lost to Cunningham.
Jenkins and Cunningham are the first transgender persons to be elected to the City Council.[ 48]
Party
Candidates
1st Choice Votes
Seats
No.
%
∆pp
No.
∆No.
%
Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
29
84,203
82.69
+3.38
12
0
92.31
Green Party of Minnesota
3
7,926
7.78
+0.42
1
0
7.69
Socialist Alternative
1
3,297
3.24
+1.16
0
0
0.00
Republican Party of Minnesota
4
1,365
1.34
+0.68
0
0
0.00
Libertarian Party of Minnesota
2
607
0.60
+0.34
0
0
0.00
Independent
4
3,958
3.89
−4.14
0
0
0.00
Write-in
N/A
472
0.46
−0.38
0
0
0.00
Total
101,828
100.00
±0.00
13
±0
100.00
Valid votes
101,828
96.13
+1.97
Overvotes
7
0.01
−0.03
Undervotes
4,093
3.86
−1.94
Turnout (out of 249,512 registered voters)[ 49]
105,928
42.45
+9.07
Ward 1
Most voted first-choice candidate by precinct in Ward 1.
Ward 2
Most voted first-choice candidate by precinct in Ward 2.
Party
Candidate
% 1st Choice
Round 1
Green Party of Minnesota
Cam Gordon (incumbent)
97.27
5,912
Write-in
N/A
2.73
166
Valid votes
6,078
Maximum possible threshold
3,518
Overvotes
1
Undervotes
955
Turnout (out of 17,702 registered voters)[ 49]
39.74
7,034
Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services[ 51]
Ward 3
Most voted first-choice candidate by precinct in Ward 3.
Party
Candidate
% 1st Choice
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
% Final
Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
Steve Fletcher
28.24
2,709
3,103
4,861
50.68
Socialist Alternative
Ginger Jentzen
34.37
3,297
3,598
3,844
40.08
Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
Tim Bildsoe
26.61
2,552
2,734
Green Party of Minnesota
Samantha Pree-Stinson
10.50
1,007
Write-in
N/A
0.28
27
Exhausted ballots
157
887
9.25
Valid votes
9,592
Threshold
4,797
Undervotes
285
Turnout (out of 24,522 registered voters)[ 49]
40.28
9,877
Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services[ 52]
Ward 4
Most voted first-choice candidate by precinct in Ward 4.
Ward 5
Most voted first-choice candidate by precinct in Ward 5.
Ward 6
Most voted first-choice candidate by precinct in Ward 6.
Ward 7
Most voted first-choice candidate by precinct in Ward 7.
Ward 8
Most voted first-choice candidate by precinct in Ward 8.
Ward 9
Most voted first-choice candidate by precinct in Ward 9.
Ward 10
Most voted first-choice candidate by precinct in Ward 10.
Ward 11
Most voted first-choice candidate by precinct in Ward 11.
Ward 12
Most voted first-choice candidate by precinct in Ward 12.
Ward 13
Most voted first-choice candidate by precinct in Ward 13.
Party
Candidate
% 1st Choice
Round 1
Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
Linea Palmisano (incumbent)
83.19
9,404
Independent
Bob Reuer
16.21
1,832
Write-in
N/A
0.60
68
Valid votes
11,304
Maximum possible threshold
5,872
Overvotes
2
Undervotes
436
Turnout (out of 23,452 registered voters)[ 49]
50.07
11,742
Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services[ 62]
President of the City Council election
After the election, which resulted in the defeat of Council President Barb Johnson, it was reported that DFL Council Members Lisa Bender , Linea Palmisano, and Council Member-elect Andrea Jenkins were seeking to replace her.[ 63] When the new City Council convened on January 8, 2018, it unanimously elected Bender to be president.[ 64]
Following Bender's election, it was revealed that Jenkins and Palmisano were respectively seeking to be elected president and vice-president as a ticket. Bender said that while she had the votes to defeat them and install her supporters as chairs of choice committees, she wanted to avoid the Council splitting into factions that had sometimes characterized the previous City Council. As part of a deal to get her unanimous support and to present a united front, Bender agreed that Jenkins would be vice-president, who was also elected unanimously.[ 64] [ 65] A new committee structure was agreed to and council members that did not nominally support her would be given choice committee chairs.[ 65] Bender said that all council members had to compromise. A final deal was not reached until January 7.[ 64]
See also
Notes
^ a b Retired; did not seek re-election.
^ a b Political principle listed on affidavit of candidacy: "Independent Health Labor".[ 41]
References
^ Minneapolis, City of (November 7, 2017). "2017 Election results" . City of Minneapolis . Retrieved November 16, 2023 .
^ Belz, Adam (December 12, 2016). "Elizabeth Glidden won't seek re-election to Minneapolis City Council" . Star Tribune . Retrieved November 1, 2017 .
^ Belz, Adam (January 3, 2017). "Council Member Jacob Frey announces bid for mayor of Minneapolis" . Star Tribune . Retrieved May 8, 2017 .
^ Thomas, Dylan (May 23, 2017). "A City Council candidate, no political labels attached" . The Journal . Retrieved October 9, 2017 .
^ a b Thomas, Dylan (December 2, 2016). "Windom Park resident to challenge for Reich's Ward 1 seat" . The Journal . Retrieved December 9, 2016 .
^ a b Thomas, Dylan (April 12, 2017). "Green Party candidate enters Ward 8 race" . Southwest Journal . Retrieved May 4, 2017 .
^ a b c "Our Candidates" . Fifth District Green Party. Retrieved November 1, 2017 .
^ Thomas, Dylan (July 11, 2017). "From one city council to — maybe — another" . The Journal . Retrieved October 9, 2017 .
^ a b Thomas, Dylan (February 21, 2017). "Open Ward 3 seat draws a crowd" . The Journal . Retrieved May 1, 2017 .
^ Callaghan, Peter (May 8, 2017). "Fletcher wins DFL endorsement in race to replace Jacob Frey on Minneapolis City Council" . MinnPost . Retrieved November 2, 2017 .
^ Callaghan, Peter (January 26, 2017). "Ginger Jentzen announces run for Minneapolis Council seat under Socialist Alternative banner" . MinnPost . Retrieved May 1, 2017 .
^ Gotlieb, Nate (October 20, 2017). "Voter Guide: Ward 3" . The Journal . Retrieved November 1, 2017 .
^ Belz, Adam (February 4, 2017). "Transgender candidates for Mpls. City Council seek a voice at the table" . Star Tribune . Retrieved May 4, 2017 .
^ Tigue, Kristoffer (April 24, 2017). "Minneapolis council challengers have a big weekend at north side DFL ward conventions" . MinnPost . Retrieved May 4, 2017 .
^ Nelson, Emma (October 26, 2017). "In north Minneapolis' Fourth Ward, City Council candidates challenge a dynasty" . Star Tribune . Retrieved November 1, 2017 .
^ a b "2017 Candidates" . Libertarian Party of Minnesota . Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017 .
^ Tigue, Kristoffer (April 14, 2017). "At 4th ward forum, longtime council president Johnson becomes the issue" . MinnPost . Retrieved May 4, 2017 .
^ a b c d Nelson, Emma (April 18, 2017). "In Minneapolis' Fifth Ward, council candidates vie for chance to represent the North Side" . Star Tribune . Retrieved May 4, 2017 .
^ Tigue, Kristoffer (April 24, 2017). "Minneapolis council challengers have a big weekend at north side DFL ward conventions" . MinnPost . Retrieved November 2, 2017 .
^ a b Hirsi, Ibrahim (May 4, 2017). "The best of frenemies: In Minneapolis' Ward 6, Abdi Warsame and Mohamud Noor find themselves as rivals, once again" . MinnPost . Retrieved May 4, 2017 .
^ Hirsi, Ibrahim; Callaghan, Peter (May 22, 2017). "War of words continues in Minneapolis' Ward 6 council race after Noor skips DFL endorsement convention" . MinnPost . Retrieved November 2, 2017 .
^ a b Thomas, Dylan (April 24, 2017). "Republican candidate joins the Ward 7 race" . Southwest Journal . Retrieved May 4, 2017 .
^ a b c Roper, Eric (July 19, 2017). "Minneapolis Republicans endorse six candidates for city elections" . Star Tribune . Retrieved November 1, 2017 .
^ Thomas, Dylan (November 17, 2016). "Janne Flisrand announces Ward 7 candidacy" . Southwest Journal . Retrieved December 9, 2016 .
^ Thomas, Dylan (September 19, 2017). "Running for sixth term, Goodman says 'experience matters' " . The Journal . Retrieved November 8, 2017 .
^ Thomas, Dylan (September 5, 2017). "Running as the 'quintessential Minneapolitan' " . Southwest Journal . Retrieved October 10, 2017 .
^ a b Bruch, Michelle (October 20, 2017). "Voter Guide: Ward 8" . Southwest Journal . Retrieved November 3, 2017 .
^ Thomas, Dylan (December 23, 2016). "Andrea Jenkins to seek open Ward 8 seat" . Southwest Journal . Retrieved May 4, 2017 .
^ a b Belz, Adam; Bekker, Jessie (April 30, 2017). "Council members Palmisano, Cano win DFL endorsement in often contentious process" . Star Tribune . Retrieved November 2, 2017 .
^ a b Belz, Adam (March 18, 2017). "In race for Minneapolis' Ninth Ward, Council Member Alondra Cano draws two well-known challengers" . Star Tribune . Retrieved May 4, 2017 .
^ Callaghan, Peter (May 1, 2017). "Minneapolis Council Member Cano wins DFL endorsement after contentious ward convention" . MinnPost . Retrieved November 2, 2017 .
^ "Ronald W. Peterson" . Affidavit of Candidacy . City of Minneapolis. Retrieved November 1, 2017 .
^ Belz, Adam (January 30, 2017). "Ex-Council Member Gary Schiff running for Alondra Cano's Ninth Ward seat" . Star Tribune . Retrieved May 4, 2017 .
^ Thomas, Dylan (March 8, 2017). "Independent enters Ward 10 race" . Southwest Journal . Retrieved May 4, 2017 .
^ Nelson, Emma; Belz, Adam (April 22, 2017). "Minneapolis City Council incumbents face challenges, defeat at DFL ward conventions" . Star Tribune . Retrieved November 2, 2017 .
^ Callaghan, Peter (July 21, 2017). "Bingo, Bob, and kisses of death: checking in on the Minneapolis Republican Party's convention" . MinnPost . Retrieved October 10, 2017 .
^ Thomas, Dylan (July 26, 2017). "Latest Ward 10 candidate wants 'a seat at the table' " . Southwest Journal . Retrieved October 10, 2017 .
^ Thomas, Dylan (July 12, 2017). "Civics teacher leaps into politics with Ward 10 campaign" . Southwest Journal . Retrieved October 10, 2017 .
^ Thomas, Dylan (December 20, 2016). "Erica Mauter joins Ward 11 race" . Southwest Journal . Retrieved May 4, 2017 .
^ a b Thomas, Dylan (December 6, 2016). "Nonprofit executive to challenge Quincy in Ward 11" . Southwest Journal . Retrieved December 7, 2016 .
^ a b "Harrison Bullard" . Affidavit of Candidacy . City of Minneapolis. Retrieved October 10, 2017 .
^ Belz, Adam (May 3, 2017). "Minneapolis Sixth Ward DFL convention date and location still unsettled" . Star Tribune . Retrieved May 4, 2017 .
^ a b Nelson, Emma (May 6, 2017). "Minneapolis City Council candidates Steve Fletcher, Andrew Johnson win DFL endorsement" . Star Tribune . Retrieved November 2, 2017 .
^ Thomas, Dylan (March 8, 2017). "Nonprofit fundraiser launches Ward 13 campaign" . Southwest Journal . Retrieved May 4, 2017 .
^ Thomas, Dylan (October 4, 2017). "Moving out of the background on public safety" . Southwest Journal . Retrieved October 9, 2017 .
^ Nelson, Emma (November 8, 2017). "Night of change for Minneapolis City Council as first transgender candidate wins" . Star Tribune . Retrieved November 8, 2017 .
^ Nelson, Emma; Roper, Eric (November 8, 2017). "More new members win Minneapolis City Council seats, council president defeated" . Star Tribune . Retrieved November 15, 2017 .
^ Collins, Jon (November 8, 2017). "Transgender candidates win Mpls. City Council seats, make history" . Minnesota Public Radio . Retrieved November 15, 2017 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Order by the Municipal Canvassing Board" (PDF) . City of Minneapolis. November 15, 2017. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017 .
^ "2017 Minneapolis Election Results: City Council Ward 1 Ranked-Choice Voting Tabulation Summary" . Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services. Retrieved November 8, 2017 .
^ "2017 Minneapolis Election Results: City Council Ward 2" . Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services. Retrieved November 8, 2017 .
^ "2017 Minneapolis Election Results: City Council Ward 3 Ranked-Choice Voting Tabulation Summary" . Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services. Retrieved November 8, 2017 .
^ "2017 Minneapolis Election Results: City Council Ward 4 Ranked-Choice Voting Tabulation Summary" . Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services. Retrieved November 8, 2017 .
^ "2017 Minneapolis Election Results: City Council Ward 5 Ranked-Choice Voting Tabulation Summary" . Minneapolis Elections & Voters Services. Retrieved November 15, 2017 .
^ "2017 Minneapolis Election Results: City Council Ward 6 Ranked-Choice Voting Tabulation Summary" . Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services. Retrieved November 8, 2017 .
^ "2017 Minneapolis Election Results: City Council Ward 7" . Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services. Retrieved November 8, 2017 .
^ "2017 Minneapolis Election Results: City Council Ward 8" . Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services. Retrieved November 8, 2017 .
^ "2017 Minneapolis Election Results: City Council Ward 9 Ranked-Choice Voting Tabulation Summary" . Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services. Retrieved November 8, 2017 .
^ "2017 Minneapolis Election Results: City Council Ward 10" . Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services. Retrieved November 8, 2017 .
^ "2017 Minneapolis Election Results: City Council Ward 11 Ranked-Choice Voting Tabulation Summary" . Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services. Retrieved November 8, 2017 .
^ "2017 Minneapolis Election Results: City Council Ward 12" . Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services. Retrieved November 8, 2017 .
^ "2017 Minneapolis Election Results: City Council Ward 13" . Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services. Retrieved November 8, 2017 .
^ Belz, Adam (November 16, 2017). "Minneapolis City Council members turn attention to picking their new president" . Star Tribune . Retrieved November 17, 2017 .
^ a b c Belz, Adam (January 9, 2018). "Minneapolis Mayor Frey, council members celebrate swearing-in ceremony at City Hall" . Star Tribune . Retrieved January 9, 2018 .
^ a b Callaghan, Peter (January 9, 2018). "Mayor, new Minneapolis Council members pledge unity, collaboration, and more unity" . MinnPost . Retrieved January 9, 2018 .
External links