Frey wins third term after single RCV round; precinct map shows bases
Jacob Frey was declared the winner of the 2025 Minneapolis mayoral race, earning a third term after a single round of ranked‑choice reallocation Wednesday morning that left him with about 50% of the final vote (he led first‑choice totals roughly 42% to Omar Fateh’s 32%) and prompted Fateh to concede. The count — finished around 11 a.m. after Hennepin County’s cast‑vote record arrived and city teams manually reallocated rankings — came amid record turnout (147,702 voters, 55%), and precinct results 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 received nearly 20,000 second‑choice votes but could not overcome Frey’s first‑round lead.
📌 Key Facts
- Jacob Frey was re-elected to a third term as Minneapolis mayor after ranked-choice reallocations concluded Wednesday morning; he finished with 50% after first- and second-choice transfers.
- First-choice results were roughly: Frey ~42–43%, Omar Fateh 32%, DeWayne Davis 14%, Jazz Hampton 10%.
- Frey led the first-choice count by roughly 15,000 votes; Fateh received nearly 20,000 second-choice votes—more than Frey—but that was not enough to overcome Frey’s first-round lead in the single round of reallocation.
- RCV timeline and method: Minneapolis received the cast‑vote record before about 8:30 a.m., began reallocation around 8:30–9:00 a.m., and completed manual reallocation by about 11:00 a.m.; city procedures required human review of write‑ins (~45 minutes) and two teams manually reallocating rankings via spreadsheets.
- Omar Fateh formally conceded on Nov. 5, saying his campaign shifted the city’s narrative toward affordable housing, workers’ rights and a care‑based approach to public safety; he criticized outside spending ("Five PACs. Millions of dollars") and described a slate strategy with Davis and Hampton urging voters to rank them ahead of Frey.
- Precinct-level results showed geographic bases of support: Frey carried bellwether southwest neighborhoods, much of the city core and stretches of north Minneapolis; Fateh’s strongest clusters were Powderhorn, LynLake, Phillips, university‑area neighborhoods and Cedar‑Riverside.
- Minneapolis set a municipal turnout record with 147,702 ballots cast (55% of registered voters), surpassing 2021; Elections Director Katie Smith praised roughly 1,900 election workers for the administration.
- The Municipal Canvassing Board is scheduled to certify the final results on Monday, Nov. 10.
📰 Sources (8)
Why Minneapolis took longer to count ballots than St. Paul
New information:
- Minneapolis must wait for Hennepin County to produce a cast vote record file; the city received it before about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
- City ordinance requires human intervention: reading all write‑in names (~45 minutes) and two teams manually reallocating rankings via spreadsheets.
- Minneapolis completed manual reallocation in the mayor’s race by about 11 a.m., explaining the midday Wednesday result.
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%.