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As you have already read about in this publication for the last year, Minneapolis has an important election for mayor, City Council, Park and Recreation Board and Board of Estimate and Taxation this year. One of my neighbors reached out and asked for a helpful voter guide of my perspective being in Minneapolis DFL politics for 14 years, back to Jacob Frey’s first campaign for a seat in the Minnesota state Senate.
I agreed to share my thoughts as the former chair of the Minneapolis DFL from April 21, 2024, to my exit on April 30, 2025. As many know, I had no role in planning this year’s city convention, other than Target Center being ranked last on the contracts I had received quotes for. There are admirable qualities and constructive criticism for each candidate, and with my experience with all the candidates, I hope to offer you some perspective that may not have been available yet.
The Rev. DeWayne Davis brings hope, kindness and optimism to his run for mayor. The creator John O’Sullivan asked “The Fall of Minneapolis” reporter Liz Collin in a podcast interview recently if she loved Minneapolis and what she loved about Minneapolis, and she had a hard time answering what she loved about the city, its people and its diverse culture. Davis clearly and unapologetically loves Minneapolis. He loves talking to everyday people at church picnics and Open Streets. He will grab your shoulder and share how much your story is not alone. It’s refreshing to have somebody who lives and walks the ethos of love thy neighbor.
Davis’ campaign got off to a rocky start. He announced before the 2024 election and was in some ways betting on Vice President Kamala Harris winning the election. He has been known to value a healthy work-life balance. That is admirable for everyday people who are not running to be chief executive of the largest city in the state, but hard to understand when the mayorship is really a 24-hour shift if the buck stops with you.
Mayor Jacob Frey has had many accomplishments as mayor. As council member for downtown and as mayor for the whole city, he passed and defended the Minneapolis 2040 Plan, and we have built thousands of units of multifamily housing that would not have otherwise been built. Frey’s biggest obstacle hasn’t been a progressive City Council, it’s been the Federal Reserve. The cost of financing new multifamily housing has doubled since he was last elected.
I recently ran into a storied developer who has built many affordable apartments in my neighborhood of downtown. He acknowledged there had been many setbacks with high interest rates and sky-high rents in places like New York City, which has a much tougher time building new housing. The marginal investor dollar from a bank or fund is going to go to cities that have the most return on investment, and that’s not Minneapolis. The affordable housing that is getting built is publicly supported, like Groove Lofts in the Northstar Center. With the work of City Council Members Katie Cashman and Michael Rainville and support from the state of Minnesota, there are now hundreds of affordable apartments on the skyway, close to return-to-office jobs. Were it so easy to fill the vacant office space that wasn’t yet converted.
