Political winds are shifting in America’s big cities, and the aftershocks are being felt from Minneapolis to New York. This week, the Democratic Party’s internal battles spilled into the open as progressives and moderates clashed over endorsements, electoral victories, and the future direction of urban governance. The drama unfolded most visibly in Minneapolis, where the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) of Minnesota abruptly revoked its endorsement of Omar Fateh, a socialist state senator, for mayor—a move that drew sharp condemnation from leading progressives and set the stage for a heated November election.
According to BizPac Review, the DFL’s decision came on August 22, 2025, following a review by the party’s Constitution, Bylaws & Rules Committee. The committee cited "substantial failures in the Minneapolis Convention’s voting process on July 19th, including an acknowledgement that a mayoral candidate was errantly eliminated from contention." DFL Party Chairman Richard Carlbom explained in a statement that the endorsement was vacated due to these procedural issues, a move that stunned many who had viewed Fateh as the frontrunner in the upcoming mayoral race.
Fateh, a Somali-American politician, had secured the DFL’s blessing after a contentious vote at the party’s July convention. In his initial acceptance, Fateh declared, "I am incredibly honored to be the DFL endorsed candidate for Minneapolis Mayor. This endorsement is a message that Minneapolis residents are done with broken promises, vetoes, and politics as usual. It’s a mandate to build a city that works for all of us." Fateh’s campaign, buoyed by Minneapolis’s large Somali population, appeared poised for victory in November—until the rug was pulled out from under him.
The revocation sparked outrage among progressive Democrats, none more vocal than Rep. Ilhan Omar, Minnesota’s most prominent member of Congress and a long-time ally of Fateh. As reported by Common Dreams, Omar blasted the DFL’s move as "inexcusable" and "a stain on our party." In a statement posted on social media, she wrote, "It is inexcusable to overturn the DFL endorsement from Omar Fateh. A small group, a majority living outside Minneapolis, met privately to overturn the will of Minneapolis delegates who volunteered, organized, and participated in a months-long DFL process. Unacceptable." Omar’s comments underscored a deepening rift between the party’s grassroots activists and its establishment leaders.
Fateh’s campaign manager, Graham Faulkner, echoed these sentiments, describing the decision as "disenfranchisement of thousands of Minneapolis caucus-goers and the delegates who represented all of us on convention day." He added, "The establishment is threatened by our message. They are scared of a politics that really stands up to corporate interests and with our working class neighbors." Fateh himself remained defiant, telling supporters, "I won’t pretend that I’m not disappointed and angered to see 28 party insiders revoke the endorsement and overturn the votes of hundreds of Minneapolis residents. But losing this endorsement doesn’t mean we lose what it represents – a people ready for change. On to November."
The DFL’s reversal, however, cleared the path for incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey to seek re-election. Frey, who gained national attention in 2020 for his emotional response at George Floyd’s memorial service, has long been viewed as a centrist and a favorite of the party establishment. The controversy over Fateh’s endorsement has reignited old tensions between Minneapolis’s progressive activists and its moderate leadership—a battle playing out in cities across the country.
This week’s events in Minneapolis are far from isolated. On August 20, 2025, the Working Families Party in New York celebrated a series of progressive victories in Democratic mayoral primaries across the state, including in Albany, Buffalo, New York City, and Syracuse. According to Times Union, the party’s co-director Jasmine Gripper called the results a "seismic shift" toward leftist positions on healthcare, education, and tax policy. The party’s candidates, who ran on platforms advocating for higher taxes on the wealthiest businesses and individuals, swept the primaries, signaling a growing appetite for progressive change among urban voters.
One of the night’s most notable victories came in New York City, where Democratic socialist Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani decisively defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo and other challengers. The Working Families Party, which has a long history of supporting candidates to the left of the Democratic mainstream, played a crucial role in Mamdani’s win. "The people are rejecting the candidates of the billionaires, and they want leaders who articulate a bold vision for how to make our cities better," Gripper told Times Union. She added that the party’s message of affordability and strategic investment resonated with voters tired of "Republican-lite" strategies from moderate Democrats.
Progressive wins in New York have not gone unnoticed by Republicans, who have seized on the results as evidence of the Democratic Party’s leftward drift. National GOP operatives were quick to label Mamdani as "antisemitic, anti-police, and anti-American," hoping to use his victory as a cudgel against vulnerable Democrats in upcoming congressional races. New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, offered a measured reaction, stating, "Today, voters made their voices heard, demanding a more affordable, more livable New York City. I hear them loud and clear." Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado was more enthusiastic, congratulating Mamdani on "a bold and hard-fought campaign" and praising his ability to "challenge the status quo."
The broader story here is one of a Democratic Party at a crossroads. As the party’s progressive wing racks up primary victories and pushes for transformative change, moderate leaders are scrambling to maintain control and present a united front ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The Minneapolis controversy, in particular, has become a flashpoint for debates over party democracy, representation, and the balance of power between insiders and grassroots activists.
Independent journalism outlets like Common Dreams have emphasized the importance of robust media coverage in holding parties accountable. As they noted, "Defeating Trump’s authoritarian takeover requires hard-hitting, people-powered journalism unafraid of making enemies or calling out villains." The stakes, they argue, have never been higher for transparency and public engagement in the political process.
As November approaches, all eyes will be on Minneapolis and New York, where the outcomes of these intra-party battles could shape the direction of urban policy—and perhaps the national political landscape—for years to come. For now, the only certainty is that the Democratic Party’s internal divisions are out in the open, and the fight for the soul of America’s cities is far from over.
