2021 Minneapolis mayoral election

2021 Minneapolis mayoral election

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Candidate Jacob Frey Kate Knuth Sheila Nezhad Party Democratic (DFL) Democratic (DFL) Democratic (DFL) First round 61,468 42.8% 26,468 18.4% 30,368 21.1% Final round 70,669 56.2% 55,007 43.8% Eliminated

Results by ward Results by precinct First preference votes by ward Frey:      30–34%      35–39%      40–44%      45–49%      50–54%      55–59%      60–64% Nezhad:      30–34%      35–39%      40–44%      45–49%      50–54% Knuth:      30–34% Awed:      40–44%      55–59%

Mayor before election Jacob Frey Democratic (DFL) Elected Mayor Jacob Frey Democratic (DFL)

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v t e

A mayoral election was held on November 2, 2021, to elect the mayor of the U.S. city of Minneapolis. Incumbent DFL mayor Jacob Frey won reelection to a second term, becoming the first Minneapolis mayor to win a second term since R. T. Rybak in 2005. Minneapolis mayoral elections use instant-runoff voting, also known as ranked-choice voting. All candidates appear on the same ballot and there is no primary election, nor is there a runoff. Minneapolis's twin city, Saint Paul, also held a mayoral election on the same day, using the same system.

The election came in the wake of a tumultuous period for Minneapolis, deeply affected by the murder of George Floyd and subsequent civil unrest.^[2] Frey's campaign faced challenges from a crowded field of candidates, including former state Representative Kate Knuth and community organizer Sheila Nezhad. Both Knuth and Nezhad aligned with more progressive factions within the DFL and advocated for policing reforms and formed an alliance urging their supporters to rank them as their top choices and exclude Frey from their preferences.^[3][4]

The election also featured discussions on issues such as affordable housing, climate change, and economic recovery post-COVID-19 lockdowns.^[5]

Frey announced his candidacy for mayor of Minneapolis on January 3, 2017,^[6] and won the November 7 election.^[7][8] He was sworn into office on January 2, 2018.

Frey is Minneapolis's second Jewish mayor, and its second-youngest after Al Hofstede, who was 34 when he was elected in 1973.^[9] Frey campaigned on a platform of increasing support for affordable housing and improving police-community relations.

• Nate "Honey Badger" Atkins (Libertarian), unconventional Libertarian^[10][11]
• A. J. Awed (DFL), co-executive director of the Cedar-Riverside Community Council^[12][11]
• Troy Benjegerdes (DFL), software engineer and candidate for mayor in 2013 and 2017^{[11][13][14][15]}
• Bob Carney (Republican)^[11]
• Clint Conner (DFL), attorney and social justice advocate^[16][11]
• Christopher David (DFL)^[11]
• Jacob Frey (DFL), incumbent mayor^[17][11]
• Mark Globus (DFL), attorney and business leader^[18][11]
• Marcus Harcus (Grassroots–Legalize Cannabis), executive director of the Minnesota Campaign for Full Legalization^[11][19]
• Paul Johnson (Humanitarian-Community Party)^[20][11]
• Kate Knuth (DFL), educator and former state representative^[21][11]
• Doug Nelson (Socialist Workers)^[11]
• Sheila June Nezhad (DFL), community organizer^[22][11]
• Jerrell Perry (For the People Party)^[11]
• Laverne Turner (Republican), political advisor^[11][23]
• Kevin Ward (Independent)^[11]
• Mike Winter (Independence), commercial driver, podcast host, and Teamster Union steward^[11]

• David Tilsen (DFL), former Minneapolis School Board member (endorsed Nezhad)^[24]
• Philip Sturm (DFL), U.S. Marine Corps veteran^[25]

Seven DFL members of the Minnesota State Legislature signed a letter urging Minneapolis residents not to reelect Frey and to instead elect a new mayor who would fight racial discrimination while improving public safety. The legislators who signed the letter were senators Scott Dibble and Omar Fateh and representatives Esther Agbaje, Jim Davnie, Aisha Gomez, Emma Greenman, and Hodan Hassan. The letter stops short of endorsing any specific candidate,^[26] but Agbaje, Davnie, Dibble, and Greenman separately endorsed Knuth. Gomez endorsed both Nezhad and Knuth.^[27][28]

Partisan clients

• 2021 Minneapolis municipal election
• 2021 Minneapolis Question 2

• Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services

Official campaign websites

• A.J. Awed (DFL) for Mayor
• Jacob Frey (DFL) for Mayor
• Kate Knuth (DFL) for Mayor
• Sheila June Nezhad (DFL) for Mayor
• Philip Sturm (DFL) for Mayor Archived May 3, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
• Mark Globus (DFL) for Mayor