2021 Minneapolis City Council election

An election were held in Minneapolis on November 2, 2021, to elect representatives for all 13 wards of the Minneapolis City Council. These elections occurred alongside the mayoral race and several other municipal offices, including Park Board and Board of Estimate and Taxation positions. The council elections were conducted using a ranked-choice voting system, which allows voters to rank candidates by preference on their ballots.

Amid a backdrop of significant local and national events, including the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, candidates across the wards ran on various platforms, addressing key issues such as public safety reform, housing, economic recovery, and the city's approach to policing.

The DFL garnered an overwhelming 85% of the 1st choice votes, a 3 percentage point increase from the previous election. The remaining seat was taken by Democratic Socialist candidate Robin Wonsley (Ward 2), who beat incumbent Green Party council member Cam Gordon in one of the only two known Condorcet cycles in United States electoral history.

Overall, moderates gained a net one seat on the 13-member council. This change suggests that moderates will have increased influence over key decisions on issues such as police reform and rent control. While progressives managed to secure seats in Wards 1 and 9, they suffered losses in Wards 3, 4, and 11, where moderate challengers defeated progressive incumbents who had supported the now-failed charter amendment to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department.

Retiring members

DFL Alondra Cano, Ward 9 Lisa Bender, Ward 10

Candidates WardIncumbentCandidatesNamePartyFirst electedNamePartyParty endorsement1Kevin ReichDFL2009Elliott PayneDFLMinneapolis DFLKevin ReichDFL Calvin CarpenterVeterans Thomas Wortman DFL2Cam GordonGreen2005Cam GordonGreenFifth District Green PartyRobin Wonsley WorlobahDSA Twin Cities DSA Yusra ArabDFLTom AndersonDFL Guy T. GaskinRepublican3Steve FletcherDFL2017Steve FletcherDFL Hope HennesseyIndependent Merv MoorheadDFL Michael RainvilleDFL4Phillipe CunninghamDFL2017Phillipe CunninghamDFLMinneapolis DFLLaTrisha VetawDFL Leslie DavisWe the People5Jeremiah EllisonDFL2017Jeremiah EllisonDFL Suleiman IsseDFL Victor MartinezDFL Elijah Norris-HollidayIndependent Kristel PorterDFL James SeymorWitness Cathy SpannDFL6Jamal OsmanDFL2020Abdirizak BihiDFLJamal OsmanDFL7Lisa GoodmanDFL1997Lisa GoodmanDFLMinneapolis DFLNick KorDFLTeqen Zéa-AidaDFLJoanna DiazDFL8Andrea JenkinsDFL2017Andrea JenkinsDFLMinneapolis DFL Robert SullentropRepublican9 Alondra CanoDFL2013Jason ChavezDFLMinneapolis DFLTwin Cities DSA Jon Randall Denison Social Justice Alfred "AJ" Flowers, JrDFL Yussuf HajiDFL Carmen MeansDFL Mickey Moore DFL Brenda Short DFL Ross Tenneson Republican10Lisa BenderDFL2013Aisha ChughtaiDFL Twin Cities DSA Katie JonesDFLAlicia GibsonDFL Ubah NurDFL Chris ParsonsDFL David WheelerDFL11Jeremy SchroederDFL2017 Emily KoskiDFLJeremy SchroederDFLKurt Michael AndersonIndependent Dillon GhernaDFL Albert T. RossDFL12Andrew JohnsonDFL2013Andrew JohnsonDFLMinneapolis DFL Nancy FordIndependent David Rosenfeld Socialist Workers13Linea PalmisanoDFL2013 Linea PalmisanoDFLMinneapolis DFLMike NortonDFL Kati MedfordGreen Bob ReuerIndependent Ken SalwayRepublican

Electoral system The 13 members of the City Council are elected from single-member districts via instant-runoff voting, commonly known as ranked choice voting. Voters have the option of ranking up to three candidates in order of preference. Municipal elections in Minnesota are officially nonpartisan, although candidates are able to identify with a political party on the ballot. Write-in candidates must file a request with the Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services Division for votes for them to be counted.

Results

PartyCandidates1st Choice VotesSeats%∆∆%Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party41115,27785.95+3.2612092.31Democratic Socialists of America13,0612.26+2.261+17.69Republican Party of Minnesota43,6312.71+1.37000.00Green Party of Minnesota23,0612.28-5.500-10.00Socialist Workers Party17730.58+0.58000.00Veterans Party16350.47+0.47000.00We the People16350.47+0.47000.00Social Justice1800.06+0.06000.00Witness1380.03+0.03000.00Independent56,7395.03+1.13000.00Write-inN/A4880.36−0.10000.00Total134,116100.00±0.0013±0100.00Valid votes134,116--Overvotes---Undervotes---Turnout (registered voters)145,33754.0+11.6

Ward 1

PartyCandidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Round 2% FinalStatusDemocratic (DFL)Elliott Payne48.18%5,5115,74552.53%style="text-align:right;" Democratic (DFL)Kevin Reich (incumbent)42.87%4,9035,19147.47%style="text-align:right;" Veteran's PartyCalvin Carpenter5.58%638colspan="3" style="text-align:right;" Democratic (DFL)Thomas Wortman3.17%363colspan="3" style="text-align:right;" Write-inN/A0.20%23colspan="3" style="text-align:right;" Exhausted ballots5024.39%Valid votes 11,438Threshold5,720Undervotes704Turnout57.4%12,142Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services

Ward 2 The election in Ward 2 exhibited one of the only two known Condorcet cycles in United States electoral history, with a narrow circular tie between Arab, Gordon, and Wonsley. Arab was preferred over Gordon by a 51.3% majority, Gordon was preferred over Wonsley by 50.5%, and Wonsley was preferred over Arab by 50.1%. Additionally, the election exhibited a downward monotonicity paradox, as well as a paradox akin to Simpson’s paradox. However, according to Minneapolis' ranked choice voting tabulation process, Wonsley narrowly won with 42.6% of final round votes (or 50.09% of unexhausted ballots).

PartyCandidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Round 2Round 3% FinalStatusDemocratic Socialists (DSA)Robin Wonsley 29.04%2,7632,8794,04650.09%style="text-align:right;" Democratic (DFL)Yusra Arab28.49%2,7193,2364,03249.01%style="text-align:right;" Green PartyCam Gordon (incumbent)26.36%2,5082,800colspan="3" style="text-align:right;" Democratic (DFL)Tom Anderson10.28%982colspan="4" style="text-align:right;" RepublicanGuy Gaskin5.74%546colspan="4" style="text-align:right;" Write-inN/A0.09%9colspan="4" style="text-align:right;" Exhausted ballots6121,43416.18%Valid votes9,527Threshold4,764Undervotes272Turnout55.8%9,799Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services

Ward 3

PartyCandidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Round 2% FinalStatusDemocratic (DFL)Michael Rainville 45.14%6,0276,90754.97%style="text-align:right;" Democratic (DFL)Steve Fletcher (incumbent)39.16%5,2295,65845.03%style="text-align:right;" Democratic (DFL)Merv Moorhead8.72%1,165colspan="3" style="text-align:right;" IndependentHope Hennessey6.65%888colspan="3" style="text-align:right;" Write-inN/A0.33%44colspan="3" style="text-align:right;" Exhausted ballots7885.90%Valid votes13,353Threshold6,677Undervotes1,085Turnout48.9%14,438Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services

Ward 4

PartyCandidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyLaTrisha Vetaw 60.63%4,391Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party Phillipe Cunningham (incumbent)30.32%2,196We the PeopleLeslie Davis8.77%635Write-inN/A0.28%20Total votes7,500Threshold3,751Turnout41.1%7,500Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services

Ward 5

PartyCandidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Round 2Round 3% FinalMinnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party Jeremiah Ellison (incumbent) 31.94%1,7521,8552,11751.12%Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyKristel Porter24.70%1,3551,4992,02448.88%Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyVictor Martinez24.65%1,3521,495Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartySuleiman Isse9.85%540Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyCathy Spann4.47%245IndependentElijah Norris-Holliday3.56%195WitnessJames Seymour0.71%39Write-inN/A0.13%7Exhausted ballots6361,34432.46%Valid votes5,485Threshold2,743Undervotes131Turnout33.9%5,616Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services

Ward 6

PartyCandidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyJamal Osman (incumbent) 59.41%3,722Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyAbdirizak Bihi39.39%2,468Write-inN/A1.20%75Total votes6,871Threshold3,436Turnout43.5%6,871Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services

Ward 7

PartyCandidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyLisa Goodman (incumbent) 61.91%7,206Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyNick Kor26.34%3,066Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyTeqen Zéa-Aida7.16%833Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyJoanna Diaz4.10%477Write-inN/A0.49%57Total votes12,329Threshold6,165Turnout54.0%12,329Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services

Ward 8

PartyCandidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyAndrea Jenkins (incumbent) 84.92%9,013Republican Party of MinnesotaRobert Sullentrop13.83%1,468Write-inN/A1.25%133Total votes11,326Threshold5,664Turnout59.5%11,326Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services

Ward 9

PartyCandidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyJason Chavez 56.89%3,792Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyMickey Moore13.59%906Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyYussuf Haji12.63%842Republican Party of MinnesotaRoss Tennsesson4.70%313Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyAlfred "AJ" Flowers, Jr.3.98%265Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyBrenda Short3.71%247Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyCarmen Means3.23%215Social JusticeJon Randall Denison1.20%280Write-inN/A0.09%6Total votes6,983Threshold3,492Turnout49.5%6,983Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services

Ward 10 PartyCandidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Round 2Round 3% FinalMinnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyAisha Chughtai 36.91%3,9344,1635,36059.95%Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyAlicia Gibson18.75%1,9993,0223,58140.05%Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyKatie Jones19.57%2,0862,476Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyChris Parsons15.10%1,610Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyDavid Wheeler5.86%625Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyUbah Nur3.51%374Write-in0.29%31Exhausted ballots9981,71819.21%Valid votes10,659Threshold5,330Undervotes686Turnout48.7%11,345Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services

Ward 11

PartyCandidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyEmily Koski 58.33%7,789Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyJeremy Schroeder (incumbent)30.32%4,049IndependentKurt Michael Anderson5.20%695Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyDillon Gherna3.41%455Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyAlbert T. Ross2.58%345Write-inN/A0.16%21Total votes13,877Threshold6,939Turnout65.2%13,877Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services

Ward 12

PartyCandidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyAndrew Johnson (incumbent) 64.83%9,940IndependentNancy Ford29.80%4,569Socialist Workers PartyDavid Rosenfeld5.04%773Write-inN/A0.33%51Total votes16,083Threshold8,042Turnout65.9%16,083Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services

Ward 13

PartyCandidate% 1stChoiceRound 1Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyLinea Palmisano (incumbent) 66.19%10,883Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor PartyMike Norton19.96%3,282Republican Party of MinnesotaKen Salway7.94%1,305Green Party of MinnesotaKati Medford3.39%557IndependentBob Reuer2.44%401Write-inN/A0.09%14Total votes17,028Threshold8,515Turnout67.8%17,028Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services

See also

2021 Minneapolis municipal election 2021 Minneapolis Question 2

References

External links Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services