The Minneapolis Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, officially just the Minneapolis DFL, is the local organizing unit of the Minnesota DFL, the Minnesota state branch of the U.S. Democratic Party. Minneapolis is a strongly Democratic city, and the DFL has been the dominant political force in its municipal government for decades. Local elections in Minneapolis are officially nonpartisan, but candidates can seek the DFL endorsement due to the party's support and organizing infrastructure.
History Minneapolis, a hotbed of Farmer–Labor activism in the 1930s, played a key role in the "fusion" of the state's Democratic and Farmer–Labor parties into the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL). Hubert H. Humphrey, at the time a Minneapolis politician, is often cited as a founder of the DFL. In 1945 Humphrey was elected Mayor of Minneapolis under the new DFL banner. Internal factional battles plagued the early DFL; at the 1948 party caucuses and convention, Humphrey and anti-Communist liberals from Minneapolis faced off against a left-wing Farmer–Labor faction, a struggle Humphrey's wing ultimately won as the party unified against far-left influence.
The following decades saw the DFL become the overwhelmingly dominant party in Minneapolis. Since in the 1950s, virtually all Minneapolis mayors and city council members have been affiliated with the DFL. The city has not elected a Republican mayor since 1975, and DFL-endorsed or DFL-aligned candidates have routinely won local offices.
Structure The Minneapolis DFL is organized as a local unit of the statewide party, governed by party bylaws and run by elected volunteers. In municipal election years, the Minneapolis DFL holds precinct caucuses open to any party member in the city. At these meetings, members elect delegates to ward conventions. Minneapolis is divided into 13 wards, and the DFL holds a convention in each ward during municipal election years. Ward conventions endorse candidates for City Council and choose local party officers. According to party rules, a candidate must receive at least 60% of delegates' votes at a ward convention to earn the DFL endorsement. If no candidate surpasses that threshold (as often happens in highly contested races), no endorsement is made at the ward level. A Minneapolis city convention is convened to endorse for citywide offices such as Mayor and Park Board.
The Minneapolis DFL is led by a city committee and executive board, including a chair, vice chairs, a secretary, and a treasurer. The party operates under the Minnesota DFL's constitution and platform but has autonomy in managing local endorsing processes and campaign support. The Minneapolis DFL coordinates voter outreach, candidate training, and Get Out The Vote efforts.
Recent activity 2021 election The 2021 Minneapolis municipal election was strongly contested, particularly around issues of policing and public safety in the wake of the George Floyd murder and ensuing civil unrest. The DFL itself did not endorse a position on the 2021 public safety charter amendment, as party members were divided on the proposal to replace the Minneapolis Police Department. The party made no endorsement in the mayoral race (incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey won re-election without an official party endorsement in both 2017 and 2021), and several city council races saw DFL-endorsed challengers defeated by incumbents or other challengers.
2023 election The 2023 Minneapolis City Council election cycle brought some turmoil within the Minneapolis DFL. The Minneapolis DFL's ward conventions that spring were marked by allegations of misconduct. In one high-profile incident, the Ward 10 endorsing convention in May 2023 descended into chaos when supporters of a challenger stormed the stage and a brawl ensued, disrupting the proceedings. The convention was adjourned without an outcome, and the Minnesota DFL later banned the candidate involved from ever seeking DFL endorsement due to the melee. A similar incident occurred in 2014 at a Ward 6 precinct gathering in Cedar-Riverside.
In Ward 5 and Ward 6, separate disputes arose over delegate credentials, leading those conventions to be suspended or voided without endorsements. These irregularities drew widespread attention and criticism. By early 2024, the FBI launched an investigation into the Minneapolis DFL's 2023 endorsement process for potential "election irregularities," interviewing party delegates and officials about the allegations of impropriety in multiple wards.
The general election in November 2023 resulted in a progressive-leaning majority on the City Council, with several democratic socialist or left-wing candidates winning seats. Council Member Andrea Jenkins narrowly won re-election in Ward 8 despite the DFL endorsement going to her opponent, Soren Stevenson.
2025 election Before the 2025 Minneapolis municipal election, a dispute over the timing of the Ward 2 DFL convention led to a lawsuit by some party members. That legal battle prompted Minneapolis DFL Chair Conrad Zbikowski to resign. The Ward 2 convention was ultimately held as scheduled per a court's decision, but no endorsement was issued in that race.
The party unit endorsed Omar Fateh for mayor in the 2025 Minneapolis mayoral election, but following complaints from incumbent mayor Jacob Frey, the state DFL revoked the endorsement citing irregularities in the voting process. They also placed the Minneapolis DFL on a two-year probation and forbade another endorsement in the election.
Election results Mayor + Until 2009 Year Candidate(s) Votes % Won1993 Sharon Sayles Belton 59,269 57.1 John Derus 44,042 42.4 Total DFL 103,311 99.5 1997 Sharon Sayles Belton 52,222 54.7 Total DFL 52,222 54.7 2001 R.T. Rybak 57,739 64.7 Sharon Sayles Belton 30,896 34.6 Total DFL 88,635 99.3 2005 R.T. Rybak 43,198 61.5 Peter McLaughin 25,807 36.7 Total DFL 88,635 98.2 + 2009- Year Candidate(s) Won2009 Betsy Hodges 28,962 36.5 Mark Andrew 19,648 24.7 Don Samuels 8,350 10.5 Other DFL 7,534 9.5 Total DFL 64,494 82.1 2017 Jacob Frey 26,116 25.0 Tom Hoch 20,125 19.3 Betsy Hodges 18,915 18.1 Raymond Dehn 18,101 17.3 Other DFL 17,518 16.8 Total DFL 100,775 96.4 2021 Jacob Frey 61,468 42.8 Sheila Nezhad 30,368 21.1 Kate Knuth 26,468 18.4 Other DFL 12,753 8.9 Total DFL 131,460 91.3 2025 Jacob Frey 61,444 41.7 Omar Fateh 46,614 31.6 DeWayne Davis 20,414 13.9 Jazz Hampton 15,339 10.4 Other DFL 773 0.5 Total DFL 144,584 98.1
City Council ElectionVotes %Seats±Majority1993 1997 1 2001 63,767 75.0 2 2005 55,274 81.1 2 200931,16769.6 0 201359,81479.3 0 201784,20382.7 0 2021115,27786.0 0 202370,32289.3 0 2025125,47990.0 0
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