Frey wins third term after single RCV round; precinct map shows bases
Jacob Frey was declared the winner of the 2025 Minneapolis mayoral election, securing a third term after ranked‑choice reallocations concluded in a single round Wednesday and leaving him with 50% of the vote after first‑ and second‑choice transfers (he led first‑choice ballots with about 42% to Omar Fateh’s ~32%, DeWayne Davis ~14% and Jazz Hampton ~10%). Turnout set a municipal record with 147,702 ballots cast (55%), and precinct returns show Frey’s strength in southwest Minneapolis, the city core and parts of north Minneapolis while Fateh’s support clustered in Powderhorn, LynLake, Phillips, the university area and Cedar‑Riverside; Fateh conceded, criticizing outside spending and noting a progressive slate strategy to rank him over Frey.
Local Government
Elections
📌 Key Facts
- Jacob Frey was re-elected to a third term as Minneapolis mayor after ranked-choice reallocations concluded in a single round Wednesday morning, Nov. 5.
- Final result: Frey won with 50% after first- and second-choice transfers; first-choice shares were roughly Frey 42–43%, Omar Fateh 32%, DeWayne (DeWayne) Davis 14%, and Jazz Hampton 10%.
- Frey led first-choice ballots by about 15,000 votes (roughly a 10-point lead); Fateh received nearly 20,000 more second-choice votes than Frey but could not overcome the first-round gap.
- Ranked-choice tabulation resumed Wednesday morning (reported as 8:30–9:00 a.m.) and finished in that single reallocation round; the Municipal Canvassing Board is scheduled to certify final results on Monday, Nov. 10.
- Omar Fateh formally conceded Nov. 5, criticized outside spending (‘Five PACs. Millions of dollars flooding into our city.’), described a slate strategy with Davis and Hampton urging voters to rank them ahead of Frey, and said his campaign shifted the city’s narrative toward affordable housing, a $20 minimum wage by 2028, rent control, workers’ rights and public safety 'rooted in care.'
- Turnout set a municipal record: 147,702 ballots cast (55% of registered voters), surpassing the 2021 turnout.
- Precinct-level results showed geographic bases for each front-runner: Frey carried bellwether areas in southwest Minneapolis, much of the city core and stretches of north Minneapolis; Fateh’s strongest support clustered in Powderhorn, LynLake, Phillips, the university-area neighborhoods and Cedar-Riverside.
- With progressives continuing to control the City Council, reporting noted there is likely to be ongoing friction between the council and Mayor Frey during his new term.
📚 Contextual Background
- In 2009, the city of Minneapolis implemented ranked-choice voting that allows voters to rank up to three candidates; if no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the lowest-performing candidates are sequentially eliminated and their votes are reallocated to voters' next-highest choices until a candidate achieves 50%.
- The 2021 Minneapolis municipal election had a turnout of 54% of registered voters, the highest turnout in the city since at least 1979.
- The Minneapolis City Council is composed of 13 seats.
📰 Sources (7)
How Minneapolis re-elected Jacob Frey, precinct by precinct
New information:
- RCV tabulation concluded in a single round of reallocation on Wednesday morning.
- Frey led first-choice ballots with about 42% and by roughly 15,000 votes over Fateh.
- Fateh received nearly 20,000 second-choice votes — more than Frey — but not enough to overcome the first-round gap.
- Geographic patterns: Frey carried bellwether areas of southwest Minneapolis and had majority support in the city’s core and stretches of north Minneapolis.
- Fateh’s strongest support clustered around Powderhorn, LynLake, Phillips, the university-area neighborhoods, and Cedar-Riverside.
Omar Fateh concedes in Minneapolis mayoral race
New information:
- Omar Fateh formally conceded to Mayor Jacob Frey on Wednesday, Nov. 5.
- Fateh’s concession statement emphasized affordability, workers’ rights, and 'public safety rooted in care,' asserting his campaign shifted the city’s policy narrative.
- Fateh criticized outside spending ('Five PACs. Millions of dollars flooding into our city.') and highlighted his slate strategy with rivals DeWayne Davis and Jazz Hampton urging voters to rank them ahead of Frey.
- Article reiterates record turnout and notes Fateh’s proposed $20 minimum wage by 2028 and support for rent control as context for his campaign platform.
Jacob Frey wins third term as Minneapolis mayor
New information:
- Final outcome detail: Frey received 50% of the vote after first- and second-choice transfers.
- Context on election night: Frey held a roughly 10-point lead over Omar Fateh on Tuesday evening.
- Opposition strategy: Fateh, DeWayne Davis, and Jazz Hampton formed an alliance urging voters not to rank Frey.
- Fateh reaction: Statement conceding and framing the campaign as shifting the city’s narrative toward affordable housing, workers’ rights, and care-based public safety.
- Council landscape: Article notes progressives continue to control the City Council, signaling continued friction with Frey.
Mayor Jacob Frey declared winner of Minneapolis election, earning a third term
New information:
- Jacob Frey has been declared the winner of the 2025 Minneapolis mayoral election, earning a third term after ranked-choice reallocations concluded Wednesday.
- Final first-choice share: Frey 42%, Fateh 32%, DeWayne Davis 14%, Jazz Hampton 10%.
- Record municipal turnout confirmed at 55% of registered voters, surpassing 2021.
Minneapolis voters break municipal election record with over 147K ballots cast
New information:
- Minneapolis set a municipal turnout record: 147,702 voters (55%), surpassing 2021's 54% (145,337 voters).
- City of Minneapolis quotes Elections Director Katie Smith praising 1,900 election workers.
- Municipal Canvassing Board will certify final results Monday, Nov. 10.
- FOX 9 cites RCV counting resuming at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5 (may update prior '8:30 a.m.' timing).
- First-choice mayoral percentages reported here: Frey 43%, Fateh 32%.
When will we know who will be mayor of Minneapolis?
New information:
- City of Minneapolis will begin ranked-choice vote reallocation at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
- Process length context: can take hours or days; in 2021 it finished before noon Wednesday (one round), in 2017 it took five rounds with a winner midday Thursday.
- Reiterates first-round standings: Jacob Frey ~42% (10‑point lead over Omar Fateh), with Dwayne Davis ~14% and Jazz Hampton ~10%.