Minneapolis mayoral candidate faces backlash over viral Somali flag clip

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(The Center Square) – The Minneapolis mayoral election is garnering more and more national attention.

This comes as candidate Omar Fateh Fateh, a current state senator and candidate of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party receives widespread backlash from the political right for different controversies and policies.

Just this week, a clip of Fateh waving the flag of Somalia at a campaign rally went viral on social media. Republicans from across the nation responded to the clip.

“Minneapolis has gone downhill, especially since the BLM riots of 2020,” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. “The city has lost population, and the election of a mayor who prioritizes a foreign country over our own will only accelerate the decline.”

Population estimates from U.S. Census Bureau showed Minneapolis lost 1,404 people from 2000 to 2024. Most experts blame the loss on lower birth rates and higher death rates.

Fateh responded to a post from U.S. Sen, Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who called Fateh a “radical.”

“Republicans are getting really scared because they know we have a real shot of winning this election,” Fateh said. “This type of hateful rhetoric won’t deter us from fighting.”

The video of Fateh followed U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s, D-Minnesota, endorsement of Fateh earlier this month. Omar is a member of the progressive group of lawmakers known as "The Squad."

“We not only need leaders who can work with anyone to get tangible results but who truly understand the struggle of the people they seek to represent,” Omar said in her endorsement on Oct. 13. “Omar does that.”

While Fateh is among the top four frontrunners in a recent poll, Minneapolis voters gear have a slate of 15 candidates to choose from when the polls open Tuesday.

Incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey hopes to win the seat for a third time, though three other candidates are closing in. Those include minister DeWayne Davis, Fateh and businessman Jazz Hampton.

Minneapolis uses ranked-choice voting, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference rather than choosing just one. For the mayoral race, voters will select their top three candidates.

All four frontrunners are members of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which is a Minnesota-specific political party affiliated with the national Democrat Party. Fateh has notably embraced the most progressive policies of any of those candidates, despite all sharing the same party affiliation.

“Minneapolis has become a tale of two cities,” Fetah posted to social media this week. “One for the wealthy and well connected, and one for all of us—the renters, transit riders, and working families who are left with vetoes and broken promises. We need a mayor who stands with working people, and works as hard as we do.”