Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) will be running for re-election. Frey has been the mayor of Minneapolis since 2017, and was heavily criticized for his actions regarding the COVID pandemic and civil unrest of 2020.
According to his campaign website, Frey has been endorsed by Governor Tim Walz (D), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Attorney General Keith Ellison, former Minneapolis mayor Sharon Sayles-Belton, American Indian Community Development Corporation Chief Executive Mike Goze, the chair of the Minneapolis school board Kim Ellison, the CEO and President of the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce Jonathan Weinhagen, Minneapolis School Board Vice-Chair Jenny Arneson, Minneapolis school board members Kimberly Caprini and Ira Jourdain, as well as members of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Meg Forney and Steffanie Musich.
Frey said, “Over the last four years, we’ve confronted opportunity and hardship together. We’ve cemented our values in policy by building and preserving record levels of affordable housing throughout our city and spearheading new, targeted initiatives that help create a more inclusive economy. We’ve also faced unprecedented challenges and calls for necessary structural change. I look forward to continuing to serve Minneapolis as we move into a new era with a shared commitment to build a more vibrant and just city.”
Frey says that his priorities are providing affordable housing, creating economic inclusion, advancing public and community safety utilizing methods “beyond traditional policing,” as well as considering climate change and the environment.
However, Mayor Frey has been heavily criticized from both Republicans and Democrats for his policies in the last two years. As was reported by The Minnesota Sun, “The Minneapolis City Council pushed back against Mayor Jacob Frey’s decision to allocate $359,000 of the city’s COVID-19 procurement order to the Agape Movement to assist in clearing the George Floyd Autonomous Zone in Minneapolis.”
Frey has also been criticized for his stance on defunding the police. As reported by The Sun, “Eight Minneapolis residents filed a lawsuit Monday against the City of Minneapolis and Mayor Jacob Frey for the negative repercussions of defunding the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). The plaintiffs allege that city officials’ words and actions concerning law enforcement caused a severe uptick in Metro’s crime rates.”
In 2020, the former chair of the Minnesota Republican Party called for Mayor Frey to resign, citing concerns over how he handled the 2020 unrest. As reported by The Sun, “Minnesota Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan called on Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to resign for their ‘failed’ leadership during last week’s riots.”
Constituents were also critical of Frey’s decisions during the pandemic. In late July of 2020, “approximately 25 restaurants in Minnesota are closed permanently due to state orders for COVID-19.” Frey also issued city-wide orders that caused small restaurant owners to suffer.
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Hayley Tschetter is a reporter with The Minnesota Sun and The Wisconsin Daily Star | Star News Network. Follow Hayley on Twitter or like her Facebook page. Send news tips to [email protected].
Photo “Jacob Frey” by Jacob Frey.
