Mayor Jacob Frey struck a confident but cautious tone Tuesday night, telling supporters he was \u201cwell in the lead\u201d after first-choice votes showed him ahead \u2014 though he stopped short of declaring victory.<\/p>\n
State Sen. Omar Fateh, Frey\u2019s main challenger, urged patience, reminding voters that the race isn\u2019t over yet. Second-choice votes will be counted Wednesday to determine whether either candidate crosses the 50% threshold needed to win under the city\u2019s ranked-choice voting system. If not, third-choice votes will come into play.<\/p>\n
According to results from the Minnesota Secretary of State\u2019s office, Frey secured roughly 42% of first-choice votes with all precincts reporting, giving him a 10-point edge over Fateh, who drew about 32% while campaigning on a more progressive platform for Minneapolis, the Sahan Journal reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis city showed up once again,\u201d Frey told supporters. \u201cWe got what appears to be record turnout, and I\u2019ll tell you what \u2014 it looks damn good for us.\u201d<\/p>\n Both Frey and Fateh are Democrats. Fateh initially received the endorsement of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, but the state organization later withdrew it after raising concerns about the endorsement process.<\/p>\n \u201cTonight, we stay patient,\u201d Fateh told supporters at a watch party event. \u201cWe stay proud because this campaign has already changed the conversation for what Minneapolis can be.\u201d<\/p>\n Fifteen candidates appeared on the ballot, though the race was widely viewed as a two-way contest between Frey and Fateh.<\/p>\n Two other contenders \u2014 pastor DeWayne Davis and attorney Jazz Hampton \u2014 were considered long-shot challengers going into Election Day.<\/p>\n According to unofficial results from the Minnesota Secretary of State\u2019s office, Davis received nearly 14% of first-choice votes, while Hampton garnered about 10%, the outlet reported.<\/p>\n