Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter were reelected this week despite many claiming “failed leadership” during the riots of 2020.
Frey, who was heavily criticized following his actions during the 2020 riots, opposed the second ballot question for Minneapolis voters that, if it passed, would have dismantled the Minneapolis Police Department.
Seventeen candidates were on the ballot for Minneapolis mayor, but Frey received the greatest percentage of the vote following the ranked choice voting method. His primary challenger was Kate Knuth, who received 38.2% of the vote. Knuth supported replacing the Minneapolis Police Department, and criticized Frey’s leadership saying he “failed to meet the challenges of the past 18 months.”
All the other candidates were eliminated during the ranked choice voting tabulation process.
Bring Me The News reported that candidates from all city positions who were opposed to replacing the Minneapolis Police Department “performed well on Tuesday, with Frey allies including Lisa Goodman, Linea Palmisano, and Andrea Jenkins winning re-election to the city council.”
Frey did not reply to The Minnesota Sun’s request for comment regarding his plans for his next term and his response to criticism from residents about his response to the riots and the growing levels of violence.
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, who also received criticism for his actions during the 2020 unrest, won the St. Paul race by a larger margin. The Democrat mayor carried over 60% of the vote. Carter became the city’s first black mayor in 2017.
Carter has pushed progressive ideas such as a universal basic income pilot program and is one of the mayors who considered paying reparations for descendants of slaves.
Carter’s office did not reply to The Sun’s request for comment about his plans for the future of St. Paul.
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Hayley Feland is a reporter with The Minnesota Sun and The Wisconsin Daily Star | Star News Network. Follow Hayley on Twitter or like her Facebook page. Send news tips to [email protected].
Photo “Melvin Carter” by St. Paul Mayor’s Office. Photo “Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey” by Tony Webster. CC BY 2.0.
