56 Candidates Seek Minneapolis DFL Endorsement, Four for Mayor
More than four dozen candidates have filed digital paperwork with Minneapolis Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) to seek the endorsement of the party’s members during the upcoming caucus and convention process. Four candidates are seeking endorsement for Minneapolis mayor: Sheila Nezhad, Kate Knuth, Phil Sturm, and Jacob Frey, in order of time registration was filed. Knuth and Sturm pledged to abide by the DFL endorsement and not continue campaigning if another candidate was endorsed by the upcoming convention. Nezhad and Frey declined to make that same pledge.
Members of the media have been sent a complete rundown of the paperwork and a public version is available.
Four candidates were added on Thursday, March 18 who had previously expressed that they were seeking DFL endorsement: Kevin Reich, Kristel Porter, Jamal Osman, and Yusra Arab. Minneapolis DFL seeks to be accommodating and thanks all candidates that are seeking DFL endorsement.
Minneapolis DFL members will be able to register for the 2021 caucus beginning April 1 and ending on April 30.
This year there are three parallel ways to register. For attendees with Internet access, they can register online starting April 1 at caucus.dfl.org and take just 10 minutes to fill out a form that includes translations for Spanish, Hmong, and Somali. For attendees without Internet access, they can call and leave a voicemail at (612) 552-4215. Minneapolis DFL will record the registration or call back if an attendee wants to be called back at a later time. The third option available is to text “2021” to (612) 712-7461. Attendees can chat with Minneapolis DFL on their own schedule in their preferred language.
“The 2021 caucus will be the most accessible in Minneapolis history,” said Minneapolis DFL Chair Devin Hogan. “This year, working parents and folks with disabilities will have full and equitable access to make their voices heard.”
Minneapolis DFL also announced today the roll out of new translations. The entire website and registration process will be available in English, Spanish, Hmong, and Somali. Caucus information is available in all four languages at the following links:
English: https://minneapolisdfl.org/english/caucus
Spanish: https://minneapolisdfl.org/espanol/caucus
Hmong: https://minneapolisdfl.org/hmoob/caucus
Somali: https://minneapolisdfl.org/soomaaliga/caucus
“Our caucuses signal the start of the 2021 elections in Minnesota, which are sure to be some of the most fiercely contested political battles in our state's history,” said Minnesota DFL Chairman Ken Martin. “The DFL is a people-powered party and our caucuses give everyone, from seasoned activists to the newly engaged, a chance to endorse local leaders and shape the future of the DFL. This is especially true this year. I encourage everyone to make their voices heard.”
To re-create the live experience of meeting candidates, Minneapolis DFL will host 13 caucus events on the night of Tuesday, April 27, 2021. These events are entirely optional for attendees and are not required to complete a registration. The live events will be organized by Minneapolis ward, and are entirely virtual this year. All 13 live events will be livestreamed with staggered schedules so that city-wide candidates can attend all of them.