Minneapolis Sixth Ward DFL convention date and location still unsettled

The Minneapolis DFL still hasn't nailed down a date and location for the City Council endorsing convention in the Sixth Ward.

The convention was supposed to be Saturday at St. Mary's University, but arrangements fell through.

Minneapolis DFL Chairman Dan McConnell, in an e-mail to party officials last week, floated the weekend of May 21 and Willey Hall on the West Bank campus of the University of Minnesota as the location.

But that hasn't been worked out either. A university spokeswoman said the U was in contact with the Minneapolis DFL as recently as Monday.

"We are waiting on additional event planning information from the DFL before the university can determine if we are able to accommodate their request to use our facilities," the spokeswoman said.

The DFL endorsement process in the Sixth Ward, which comprises parts of near-south Minneapolis, has been contentious, with Council Member Abdi Warsame facing challenges from Mohamud Noor and Tiffini Flynn Forslund.

The caucus was the most heavily attended in the city, with about 800 people, about half of them at the Brian Coyle Community Center in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.

Warsame appears to have turned out the most support at the April 4 caucus, where delegates to the convention were chosen. He said Wednesday he's just confident the Minneapolis DFL will sort it out.

"We are going to have a convention, it's going to be wonderful," Warsame said.

"The Ward 6 residents and people that participated in the caucuses are looking forward to it."

With the Sixth Ward convention delayed, only two wards will try to endorse a DFL City Council candidate at conventions Saturday.

Council Member Andrew Johnson faces one challenger, Will Jaeger, in the 12th Ward on the east side of south Minneapolis.

In the Third Ward, which covers the North Loop and part of downtown and northeast Minneapolis, Cordelia Pierson and Steve Fletcher are vying to replace Council Member Jacob Frey, who is running for mayor.

Adam Belz • 612-673-4405 Twitter: @adambelz