BY CLINT COMBS
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) Twin Cities have notched significant victories on the Minneapolis City Council, pushing forward city ordinances like a ceasefire resolution, a ride-share wage increase ordinance, a labor standards board, and a resolution calling for all charges to be dropped against pro-Palestinian activists who occupied the UofM administrative building on Oct. 21.
Minneapolis City Council Member Robin Wonsley, a Democratic Socialist representing representing Ward 2, speaks to DSA Minneapolis. (Photo/Clint Combs Southside Pride)
The first two ordinances — the ride-share wage increase and the ceasefire resolution — successfully overrode Mayor Jacob Frey’s veto, reflecting the DSA’s ability to push through transformative policies in the face of opposition from powerful businesses. Meanwhile, both the labor standards board ordinance and the resolution supporting the pro-Palestinian activists failed to override Mayor Frey’s veto. The labor standards board ordinance fell just one vote short, while the resolution supporting the activists did not secure enough votes for an override. These setbacks highlight the continued struggle to advance progressive, working-class policies.
Amid this continued struggle against Mayor Frey’s vetoes, the DSA Twin Cities is now considering endorsing State Rep. Omar Fateh for mayor. His potential candidacy comes at a time when the DSA’s endorsed representatives on the city council have faced repeated opposition from Frey, underscoring the need for a strong progressive leader who can advance the working-class agenda at City Hall.
Arianna Feldman, Omar Fateh’s Campaign Manager speaks to DSA members in Minneapolis, (Photo/Clint Combs Southside Pride)
Shane Miller, a DSA Twin Cities member, took a more level-headed approach, expressing concerns about the endorsement process. “I think we’re getting a little too ahead of the curve here…we haven’t seen the endorsement process carry out,” Miller said. “I think it’s bad practice for us to really lead with a de facto ‘oh, yeah, we’re going to endorse you anyway.’ Endorsements are about negotiation.” Miller emphasized that any endorsement should come with clear expectations and mutual commitment from the candidate.
Kieran Knutson, self-described anarchist and President of CWA Local 1750 — a non-profit membership labor union representing workers at AT&T Mobility retail stores in Minnesota, as well as AT&T Legacy T employees — questioned the role of elections in the current political climate. “Do they conceive of that as happening through elections for mayor, I wonder, and, if so, that has certain answers, I would think? And if not, that also has certain answers about how people should proceed,” Knutson said.
Knutson’s remarks highlight how organizations like DSA are vetting candidates best suited to lead Minneapolis in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by Derek Chauvin, which catalyzed widespread protests and calls for justice, accountability, and systemic change. “I wonder if, in a campaign like this, I still think a lot of the city is living in the wake of the uprising and that a lot of what we do is impacted, even now, four years later, by the uprising,” Knutson said.
DSA members reflect on how best to prepare for an incoming Trump Administration. (Photo/Clint Combs Southside Pride)
Knutson also raised concerns about Fateh’s stance on the demand to abolish the police. “Like, where do the demands like abolish the police fit in anymore? It feels like they’ve been dismissed, even though that was a sort of mass demand from the poorest part of our community and the most oppressed part of the working class,” Knutson said. He went on to question the emphasis on electoral politics in light of these critical issues, asking, “So I guess I’m just curious, as socialists or as people advocating for workers’ power, why are elections sort of the centerpiece of people’s strategy?”
As of this writing, Omar Fateh has yet to release a campaign platform, leaving many questions for DSA members regarding an endorsement. Emma Fletcher, a DSA Twin Cities Labor Rep, noted the challenges of preemptively endorsing a candidate who has not yet shared his platform.
“I was taking some notes in this, and I really agree with the position that the energy is here for Omar in our chapter,” Fletcher said. “It is, and I think it would be a big mistake not to endorse him. But I think we should endorse and campaign for him on a more principled basis as, you know, an independent expenditure campaign, that we are socialists for Omar.”
“In doing that, we can do it in a way that doesn’t stifle our socialism, right? If we just accept his lit and accept his talking points on the doors, that is potentially problematic. We haven’t seen his platform yet, which I also think is a problem. The DSA hasn’t seen his platform and isn’t involved in the creation of his platform. It’s a big problem.”
After the breakout group sessions, Arianna Feldman, campaign manager for Omar Fateh, highlighted the community support Fateh has already garnered. “What I’m already hearing on the campaign side, in the community, when Little Earth members like Joe Vitale, when workers, when Uber and Lyft drivers have shown up and been supportive and said, ‘You are one of us, you showed up for us, so we have your back,’” Feldman said. “Where the hell is DSA?”
She challenged DSA members to consider their involvement. “He is already being considered the socialist mayor, whether we like it or not,” Feldman said. “That’s it. Do you all want to be a part of this or not?”
Another DSA member and mayoral candidate, Brenda Short, also voiced her frustration with Mayor Frey’s actions in regard to her own campaign. Short claimed that Frey and his team have actively tried to block her candidacy. “Oh, um, I have been trying… this gentleman,” she said, pointing at someone across the table, “will tell you I’ve been trying to register my candidacy, and Mayor Frey and his team have stopped me,” Short stated.
Short’s frustration stems from her perception that her candidacy is being ignored due to Frey’s influence. “I can’t even get anyone to see me as a candidate because the mayor is over the person who allows me to register my candidacy,” she said. “I have had to go to the Secretary of State and scream in their office, and they’re telling me I have to wait until July to register my candidacy.”
Short also expressed discontent with the political maneuvering around her campaign, noting, “The silly part about it is Mayor Frey’s team watched me so badly that they stole everything I said in my campaign.” She cited past grievances, including the need for policy changes in police reform, which she believes have been overshadowed by recent events.
Council member Robin Wonsley also weighed in on the political landscape, noting that former supporters of Mayor Frey are now searching for alternatives. “Former fraud supporters in the liberal political class are also looking for an alternative, and that person is currently Council member Emily Koski,” Wonsley said. “And in her recent op-ed, Koski states that she essentially shares Frey’s politics. However, she dislikes a divisive approach and basically presents herself as the safer, civil, and diplomatic alternative to Frey.”
Wonsley further emphasized the importance of Omar Fateh’s campaign, saying, “Through Omar’s campaign, our chapter has the opportunity to both normalize socialist politics and offer working-class people another vision for our city. As we’ve seen with other electoral campaigns like Socialist Daron Madani’s mayoral bid in New York, Omar’s mayoral campaign will give our chapter a platform to organize thousands of residents around our chapter’s key priorities. Meaning, we could have a shot at making rent control finally happen. We can amplify key labor policies and actions such as the $20 minimum wage and the Delta Union campaign. We’ll be able to speak candidly to residents about how they can support ceasefire and BDF, BDS efforts locally to help end the genocide in Palestine.”
Ramy Khalil, who was Kshama Sawant’s 2013 election campaign manager, also weighed in on the current mayoral race, expressing some reservations about Omar Fateh’s platform but supporting his candidacy. “I agree that we don’t yet have Omar’s platform and that we should look at it,” Khalil said. “He does not present a bold class struggle campaign so far. In the Star Tribune, he said ‘I’m DFL and I’m a socialist.’”
Despite his reservations, Khalil expressed support for Fateh, noting his track record on key issues. “He’s a good comrade and I think we should support him,” Khalil said. “He does have a record of standing up to big business on the Uber/Lyft struggle. He fought for free college.”
Khalil went on to outline the policy areas where he hopes to see further commitments from Fateh. “I would like to see, will he support free childcare? Will he advocate for rent control in building tens of thousands of social housing units? Is he going to tact to the left or tact to the right?” Khalil asked. “I do think we as socialists and as DSA should do our best as we engage in this campaign to put forward those bold demands.”
Finally, Khalil commented on how electoral candidates tend to adjust their message when faced with pressure from the media and corporate interests. “When these candidates, they get scared of the media and the tremendous pressure from corporations and moderate union leaders, they tend to moderate their message thinking that that’s more effective,” Khalil said. (For example, Kamala Harris sought the support of Republican Liz Cheney, an abject campaign failure that establishment Democrats argued would court moderate voters.)
The DSA Twin Cities chapter will vote on endorsements from March 17 to 21, with the announcement being made public the week of March 24.
