Frey, a Democrat is fighting to keep his job in a city trying to rebuild after Floyd’s death in May 2020. This was the worst unrest since the Rodney King riots. The outcome of Tuesday’s election will depend on how voters perceive Frey’s efforts at finding a middle path in a city that is deeply divided by questions about racism, crime and policing.
Frey has made himself a champion of the police and the city’s Black chief — and against progressives who seek a symbolic victory for Floyd’s city.
Frey, 40, stated in an interview that “there’s no mayor in the country who is satisfied with the pace and change.” “But we have passed a litany reforms and changes, more so than any mayor in this city’s history.”
Conservatives accused Frey, a white Officer Derek Chauvin, of failing to stop the unrest or crack down on the rising crime and gun violence during the worst moments of the unrest after Floyd’s death.
Many on the left have also criticised him for not doing enough in overhauling Minneapolis’ police force. Frey is being challenged by 17 serious candidates. This in a city where a Republican mayor was last elected 64 years ago. Some people have adopted the slogan “Don’t Rank Frey” as a mantra, urging voters to remove Frey from their city’s ranked-choice voting system. This increases the chance that someone else will win.
Frey’s fate could be tied to a referendum question asking voters whether they would like to replace Frey’s police department with a Department of Public Safety. The ballot question would remove the requirement that the city has a police department with a minimum number officers. Supporters dismissed fears that this could lead to too few officers, while opponents have suggested that it could be a sign of a lack of officers.
The mayor is against the ballot question. He points out that the plan doesn’t contain a clear plan to replace it. Additionally, it would shift police oversight from the mayor’s offices to a system giving the 13-member City Council more control.
Kate Knuth and Sheila Nezhad, two top challengers to the department, support its replacement. Nezhad was the leader of the campaign behind this ballot question. Knuth, a former state representative and environmental justice activist, is now the president of the Board.
