Minneapolis mayoral candidates begin last week of campaigns with WCCO-TV debate

With a week until Election Day, top Minneapolis mayoral candidates, AJ Awed, Jacob Frey, Kate Knuth and Sheila Nezhad, began making their final pitches to voters in an online debate Monday.

The three challengers continued to blast Mayor Frey's leadership, saying he has failed residents, while Frey defended his work the last four years in the hourlong forum hosted by WCCO-TV.

The four candidates, whom WCCO determined to be front-runners in the Nov. 2 race among 17 people vying for the job, defended their stances on three controversial charter amendments on the ballot and also how their past votes or talking points conflict with current campaigns.

In 2017, Frey told voters not to re-elect then-Mayor Betsy Hodges because of the increase in violent crime and worsening police-community relationships. He was asked by moderators if the same argument could be made in his re-election now.

"We did have two years of unprecedented progress when I took office and, yes, the last two years have been unprecedented, they've been unpredictable. ... Through it all, we've told the truth, we've charted an honest and clear path for the city," said Frey, 40, who lives in the Nicollet Island-East Bank neighborhood.

Awed, 30, a court mediator who lives in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood, opposes the policing amendment that would replace the Police Department with a new public safety department, but he called for abolishing police when he ran for City Council last year.

"The major elephant in the room for me is communities of color's voices are not being centered, and in good conscience I could not support that," he said of the measure.

"In 2012, it was clear that civilian review process and police oversight was broken. ... Nine years later, here we are. It hasn't gotten better, and under Mayor Frey's leadership, it's actually gotten worse," said Knuth, 40, who lives in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood.

Murphy asked Nezhad why, after the protests following George Floyd's murder last year, her top priority was providing bathrooms and hot food.

"That's how we create spaces where people can grieve together," said Nezhad, 33, an activist with Reclaim the Block who lives in the Central neighborhood, adding that she would also provide free counseling.

Among the three charter amendments on the ballot, Frey and Awed oppose the second question on policing while Nezhad and Knuth support it, and all four are voting yes on the third question on rent control.

On the first charter question, which would designate the mayor as the city's "chief executive" and the City Council as a "legislative body," Awed, who supports the question, said changing the "archaic structure" could help better address racial inequities. Frey also supports the measure, adding that it would be similar to what's in place in St. Paul. Knuth and Nezhad both oppose the measure, with Knuth saying "stronger, more effective leadership" is needed instead, while Nezhad said she's concerned about equity issues with disparities in voter turnout among wards in the mayoral race.

WCCO reporter Reg Chapman asked the candidates if they've done a ride-along with police on the North Side and if they've talked to North Side residents.

Nezhad said she has door knocked to thousands of North Side residents. Awed said he has done a ride-along in the Fifth Precinct and attended an anti-gun violence rally. Knuth said she has door knocked on the North Side and done a ride-along with Hennepin County EMS. Frey said he has done a ride-along with police and talked to residents.

The moderators asked who each candidate will rank second and third on their ranked choice ballots, but the candidates mostly dodged the question, with Knuth and Nezhad each voting for one another for second choice but declining to name a third-choice candidate. Frey and Awed both said they're undecided on second and third choices.

To view the full debate, go to wcco.com.

Nate Atkins, Troy Benjegerdes, Bob Carney Jr., Clint Conner, Christopher David, Mark Globus, Marcus Harcus, Jerrell Perry, Paul E. Johnson, Doug Nelson, Laverne Turner, Kevin Ward and Mike Winter are also on the ballot for mayor.

Kelly Smith • 612-673-4141