Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar sharply criticized her party on Thursday after the Minnesota DFL’s state central committee voted to revoke its Minneapolis mayoral endorsement, calling the decision a “stain on our party” that threatens Democrats’ ability to organize and win elections in the years ahead.
Omar’s statement, co-signed by more than a dozen local DFL elected officials, underscored how the reversal has widened rifts between centrist Democrats and progressive, democratic socialist–aligned factions within the party.
The move came just hours after the state DFL stripped its Minneapolis branch of its endorsement of State Sen. Omar Fateh, a democratic socialist, in favor of incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey. Party leaders cited serious concerns about how local organizers handled July’s endorsing convention.
Omar and other signatories denounced the decision as an “extremely dangerous precedent” that disregards the will of delegates. They also emphasized that Fateh, the first Black candidate to win the Minneapolis DFL’s mayoral endorsement in three decades, had now been stripped of that historic recognition.
“This is extremely disheartening,” the statement read. “Right now, there is a clear tension between the progressive Democrats who are challenging the status quo and moderate Democrats.”
The statement, first reported by Axios, was backed by seven Minneapolis state legislators, three Hennepin County commissioners, five City Council members, and a school board member—most of whom have endorsed Fateh. Omar herself has not formally backed a candidate, though she has frequently clashed with Frey.
The statement also criticized newly elected Minnesota DFL chair Richard Carlbom, accusing him of breaking his pledge to unite the party. “Undoubtedly, this appalling decision will leave many voters feeling discouraged and unwelcome from participating in our party,” the officials wrote.
Minneapolis DFL organizers admitted that their electronic voting system failed to capture all delegate votes during the July convention. While the error did not directly cause Fateh’s victory, it contributed to another candidate’s elimination before the decisive second ballot. The state party’s rules committee cited those and other procedural flaws in placing the Minneapolis DFL chapter on probation.
A spokesman for Frey welcomed the decision, saying the process had been “inaccurate and rife with misconduct.”
Omar’s rebuke carries weight: her strong base in Minneapolis and her fundraising muscle have long been crucial to statewide Democratic victories.
