Minneapolis mayoral candidates debate encampment solutions, downtown revitalization
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The Citizens League hosted a debate with five candidates vying to be the next Minneapolis mayor Friday.
This year’s election is on Nov. 4 and uses ranked-choice voting. Early voting began Sept. 19.
The debate was moderated by Twin Cities PBS anchor Mary Lahammer and WCCO host Blois Olson and held at Westminster Presbyterian Church downtown.
The recording of the full debate is available on the Citizens League website.
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Over the course of an hour and a half, candidates took on topics related to public safety, homeless encampment response and questions around economic revitalization in both Uptown and downtown — as well as the shifting tax base.
Mayor Jacob Frey took heat from for not working well with the City Council, which he has often been at odds with, including when he vetoed their 2025 budget. He also faced criticism for his administration’s approach to clearing encampments.
“This work is complex,” Frey responded. “So you can come forward with a catch phrase or a simple solution. The truth is, is that it doesn't exist. We are doing the hard work to drive down homelessness and unsheltered homelessness."
Candidates were asked how they would ensure residents don’t shoulder too much of the shifting post-pandemic tax base, as commercial values are lower than before.
“You got to be efficient with your tax dollars, and my pitch, and I said this during the last budget, is we have to focus on core city services first,” said Frey who recently presented his proposed 2026 budget to the city.
In it, he eliminated several vacant positions and cut programs he said were not an effective use of resources.
Candidate state Sen. Omar Fateh proposed pursuing a vacancy tax on empty storefronts and partnering with the state Legislature — where he currently serves — to push for a local tax option that he said would ensure the city’s wealthiest residents are paying their fair share.
Fateh also said a replacement for the Target Center would not be a good use of public funds, and he would not ask the state for help with it either.
"Because every every dollar we give away, whether it's city or state, to billionaires, is dollars away from basic services," Fateh said.
Attorney Jazz Hampton leaned on his experience as a business owner and teacher of an entrepreneurial finance class at the University of St. Thomas to say he would be careful with taxpayer dollars. But he also criticized some of the mayor’s cuts in the mayor’s recommended budget, including a job in the 911 division.
"Right now, when people are working 12-hour shifts and working overtime, fielding some of the most traumatic calls that could be happening within the city, these are the things that we need to prioritize our dollars for,” he said.
Rev. DeWayne Davis said the city is going through a transition period and said he remembered when downtown used to have car dealerships before they moved to the suburbs. He said a multi-jurisdictional approach is needed, as is rethinking the way people even talk about taxes.
“Here’s the thing, too,” He said. “Yes, there are going to have to be priorities, but this is what is required of city government, especially a mayor, to tell people what the priority is going to be. For instance, perhaps if we told people that we need to appropriate a certain amount of dollars and resources to deal with homelessness and encampments, I believe our residents will say, ‘I will give you a chance to do that.’”
On the question of relieving the tax burden, Brenda Short said she would reach out to shuttered small businesses that were once part of the city’s fabric.
“We need to start sharing those spaces downtown to bring the people who we loved in our city back to a great place downtown so they can shine. Because I miss Palmer’s. I don't know about y'all, but I love that little place,” she said, referring to a longtime bar that recently closed.
Rev. DeWayne Davis
Davis was lead minister at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis before stepping down in July. He previously served 15 years as a congressional staffer and was co-chair of Minneapolis’ Community Safety Working Group, as well as the Minnesota Poor People’s Campaign.
Closing statement
“Thank you all for being here. And I just want to start off by saying contrary to what it may have seemed like, this is indeed a multi-candidate race for ranked choice. And so I reject, and I want you to reject the idea, that there is a binary between two people. I think some of the questions it appears that way. And I just think it's important for you to know that and understand that. But I also want to just tell you, listen, we are in a new political age. It is a very challenging political age, not only because we have some challenges as a major city, but also we have the challenge of a federal government that is illiberal and autocratic and has determined that it is not going to work with us. So we need new leadership. We have as a city, an abundance of riches. That means that we have the ability to stand against what's going on in Washington, but also solve our problems. But we need new leadership to do it, and I'm offering that leadership. We can do this. We can do better. We deserve better, and I think you can join me in making that effort happen.”
Sen. Omar Fateh
State Sen. Fateh has represented south Minneapolis in the state Legislature since 2021. He’s been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America. He helped pass legislation to fund free college for low-income Minnesotans and sponsored a law setting a minimum wage and job protections for Uber and Lyft drivers statewide.
Closing statement:
“Jacob Frey has been mayor now for nearly eight years, for two terms, all vetoes, full of vetoes and a more divided government and city than ever before. He lied about banning no knock warrants and Amir Locke died. He lied about there only being 27 unhoused neighbors, and we know that was not true. He lied about ending homelessness within five years, now there's more unhoused neighbors than when he first took office. He lied when he said he'd stand with our Uber and Lyft drivers, and then he vetoed their bill. He lied when he said he'll support labor and our labor unions, and then he vetoed the Labor Standards Board. And he lied when he said he'll stand up to Donald Trump, when he let MPD collaborate with ICE. Those are all lies. Myself, I've worked not only with the progressive wing and the Blue Dogs, but with Republicans to pass bold, progressive, transformational pieces of legislation. So please, I hope to earn your first choice vote. Rank DeWayne and Jazz, fill your ballot, because now more than ever, Minneapolis needs a leader and not a liar.”
Mayor Jacob Frey
Two-term Mayor Frey is seeking his third and what he said would be his last term to “get the job done.” He led Minneapolis during the COVID-19 pandemic and the unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd. Prior to serving as mayor, he represented Ward 3 on the city council and worked as a civil rights and employment discrimination attorney.
Closing statement:
“As mayor, you make difficult decisions during some of the most trying of circumstances, and over the past five years, especially, we in this city have confronted adversity together. And our city is coming back, and this city right now is faced with a choice, a choice between a path that puts slogans and social media posts before solutions, and the other path that values delivering results for our city. I have always chosen the latter. I have always chosen to do the right thing by our city, even and especially when it's hard. And so we have a lot of work to do around housing, making sure that we're expanding our Stable Homes Stable Schools program, and making sure that more people have the right to a home. We need to be expanding our police department to make sure that we have the most diverse police department in history and continue down the path to fighting crime, keeping people safe and providing a comprehensive strategy for safety. We need to make sure that we're working on affordability, and we've got reasonable and pragmatic budgeting to ensure that both rent stay down as well as taxes. And we have a great opportunity to work together as a city, not throw jabs, not call names, but do right by Minneapolis.”
Jazz Hampton
Hampton is an attorney and former public defender. After the murder of George Floyd, Hampton founded TurnSignl, which provides real-time legal advice during traffic stops. He’s served on boards for Catholic Charities Twin Cities, the Great North Innocence Project and the Minneapolis Foundation.
Closing statement:
“When I announced that I was running in late January, I put out a video, and I said, I'm not running against anyone. I'm running for the city. Far too long, when you're opening the newspaper or reading it online, it feels like you're reading about conflicts within city leadership, rather than the progress that we could be making within the city. I am so proud to say that I'm going to be a mayor that unifies this city and moves us forward. I'm not saying that folks haven't been working incredibly hard. I'm just saying it's time for a new chapter in the city of Minneapolis, and we can have someone that will be the first mayor in 25 years have children in the Minneapolis Public Schools. All three of my children are in them. We could have a mayor that has built and run a business in this city, a mayor that has been a lawyer within this city and has been actively understanding how to use the law as the tool. We have an opportunity to start a new chapter in Minneapolis. And when you go and vote this year and you're fully ranking your ballot, this is what I hope for you. I hope you're stepping into that ballot box and saying, ‘I'm excited to be voting right now.’ I'm not voting against someone, I'm voting for the vision of a candidate that I saw on stage. And I hope that I am your first rank in that situation. I would be honored to earn it. And thank you very much for coming today.”
Brenda Short
Short is a small business owner who grew up in rural Iowa before moving to Minnesota, where she eventually became a homeowner. She was previously homeless in Minneapolis while raising three children and said that has led her to advocate for unhoused neighbors. Short wants to work to ensure Minneapolis is affordable for all.
Closing statement:
“I'm a community member that takes this job seriously, unlike three men who think they are selling Girl Scout Cookies and knocking doors together. This job is one leader. So, I am the one leader that you need. So, on November 4, vote, Brenda short, not once, not twice, but three times. On November 4.”
