With election day ahead, Twin Cities mayoral candidates making a final case at parks, malls doorsteps

The candidates for mayor in both Minneapolis and St. Paul scrambled across town Saturday in a final sprint to sway voters in Tuesday’s elections, which pit two-term incumbents against challengers promising a new direction for their cities.

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and his supporters gathered in a leafy park in the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood before heading out to door knock, while challenger and state Rep. Kaohly Her convened volunteers at an Ethiopian restaurant in Highland Park.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey gave a fiery speech before a packed crowd in Northeast, while opponent Omar Fateh, a DFL state senator, wound his way through the Mill City Farmers Market and visited 24 Somali Mall in the Ventura Village neighborhood.

Those were just a few of the pit stops in the final weekend of campaigning — a blur of forums, community gatherings and last-minute appeals before the polls close on Tuesday.

Some candidates said they needed to raise awareness of the race itself.

“More than policy issues, I just want people to know there’s an election Tuesday,” Fateh said. “A lot of folks are still disconnected, not knowing we’re even in the middle of one.”

Carter said candidates who campaign in years when voters aren’t choosing a president, governor or member of Congress — such as this year — sometimes struggle to get attention.

Before his event at the Solar Arts Building in Minneapolis, Frey said his crowded schedule included trick-or-treating with his two kids in south Minneapolis, interviews with Latino and Oromo-focused media, a trip to The Saloon bar for an LGBTQ get-out-the-vote rally, and “a bunch” of tailgates at the Gophers’ football game. He also attended a ceremony renaming Edmund Boulevard after Lena Smith, the first Black woman lawyer in Minnesota.

“We know that the more people that vote, the better we do,” Frey said in an interview. “We want more people from every single corner of this city feeling that they are part of this team, taking ownership of our city’s future and deciding they’re going to be a part of it.”

Supporters waved signs and wore “Frey 25″ T-shirts at his rally, where the mayor and Gov. Tim Walz embraced before the cheering crowd. Frey, they said, had seen Minneapolis through the COVID-19 pandemic, the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and the Annunciation shooting, but that the city is now on the upswing.

Meanwhile, Fateh was moving from late-night cultural events to morning markets in a marathon of appearances aimed at connecting with both his base and voters beyond it. He plans to campaign alongside U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar with a rally and door knocking Sunday.

At a farmers market Saturday, buskers in Fateh sweatshirts played folk music as the candidate greeted shop owners and posed for photos with young voters.

The day reflected the two goals of his campaign: appealing to the broad Minneapolis electorate while engaging a community that has long felt overlooked in city politics. Between events, he juggled condolence calls about a family member with a message from comedian Hasan Minhaj, who hoped to meet him before his show in Minneapolis.

In St. Paul, Carter gathered dozens in Mattocks Park ahead of door knocking. Wearing a jacket adorned with St. Paul’s city flag, the mayor hugged state Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten and her child, and petted a friendly rescue dog named Willie.

Carter and several volunteers, including City Council Member Saura Jost, Ramsey County Commissioner Garrison McMurtrey and Mischief Toy Store manager Abigail Adelsheim-Marshall, embraced and spoke under the falling leaves before preparing hundreds of pamphlets to give to prospective voters.

Though Carter’s campaign has door knocked for months, the mayor said they were not going to let up and risk losing a race they could have otherwise won.

Her’s weekend canvassing reflected the rhythm of the campaign’s final days: a candidate leaning on personal history and grassroots outreach to make one last case before voters head to the polls.

Her grew emotional as she spoke about her journey in the United States as the daughter of Hmong refugees, saying those experiences continue to shape her values and her approach to leadership. She said her campaign has worked to meet people where they are.