Who's running for mayor and City Council in Minneapolis?

Local elections are heating up as we plunge into the coldest days of winter.

Over the past few months, most members of the Minneapolis City Council have announced whether or not they will run for reelection in the fall, and five democratic challengers have emerged in the mayoral race against two-term Mayor Jacob Frey. At least two of the City’s 13 ward seats will be open due to councilmembers stepping away from local politics or seeking higher office.

*A collage of mayoral candidates, clockwise from top left: DeWayne Davis, Emily Koski, Jazz Hampton, Jacob Frey, Omar Fateh, and Brenda Short. Images courtesy of their campaigns*

Two of Frey's mayoral challengers currently hold office: Minnesota Sen. Omar Fateh and Ward 11 Councilmember Emily Koski.

Fateh was elected in 2020 and 2022 as the Minnesota State Senate representative for District 62, which covers much of Southwest Minneapolis. He’s best known as a champion of statewide rideshare regulations intended to boost drivers’ pay.

Koski has represented Ward 11, the southernmost part of Minneapolis, for almost three years. She hopes to follow in the footsteps of her father, Albert Hofstede, who was mayor of Minneapolis in the ‘70s. Southwest Voices covered Koski’s campaign announcement from Pearl Park in early December.

The Rev. DeWayne Davis was first to announce his candidacy for mayor in mid-October. He is currently the lead pastor at Plymouth Congregational Church in the Stevens Square neighborhood and recently served as the chaplain of the Minnesota State Senate.

Brenda Short is a homeowner and small business owner in South Minneapolis. She unsuccessfully ran for the Ward 9 City Council seat in 2021.

Jazz Hampton is the latest candidate to enter the increasingly crowded mayoral race. He is the CEO and co-founder of TurnSignl, an on-demand app that connects drivers to lawyers during traffic stops. A lawyer himself, Hampton served on the legal team for Marvin Haynes, who was exonerated in 2023 for a 2004 North Minneapolis murder.

Mayoral candidates:

Minneapolis Voices' Q&As with mayoral candidates:

Mayor Jacob Frey seeks a final term to help Minneapolis rebound

Jazz Hampton wants to unify Minneapolis

‍

The 2024-25 Minneapolis City Council; clockwise from top left, Jason Chavez (Ward 9), Jamal Osman (Ward 6), Elliott Payne (Ward 1), LaTrisha Vetaw (Ward 4), Michael Rainville (Ward 3), Katie Cashman (Ward 7), Emily Koski (Ward 11), Robin Wonsley (Ward 2), Linea Palmisano (Ward 13), Aurin Chowdhury (Ward 12), Andrea Jenkins (Ward 8), Jeremiah Ellison (Ward 5), and Aisha Chughtai (Ward 10). Photo courtesy of the City of Minneapolis

‍

The makeup of the Minneapolis City Council could look a lot different at the beginning of 2026, since elections will be held in each ward in November.

So far, Minneapolis City Council President Elliott Payne (Ward 1) and Councilmembers Robin Wonsley (Ward 2), Michael Rainville (Ward 3), LaTrisha Vetaw (Ward 4), Jamal Osman (Ward 6), Katie Cashman (Ward 7), Jason Chavez (Ward 9), Aisha Chughtai (Ward 10), Aurin Chowdhury (Ward 12), and Linea Palmisano (Ward 13) have publicly shared their intentions to run for another term in office.

Ward 8 representative Andrea Jenkins is the only member of City Council who hasn't officially announced whether she's seeking reelection in the fall.

Jeremiah Ellison announced in late November that he is not running for reelection in Ward 5. Since then, four candidates have come forward in the uncontested race.

Presumably, Ward 11 will also be an open seat since Koski is running for mayor, because she cannot run for both posts at the same time.

City Council candidates:

Ward 1