We won the DFL endorsement with 72.4% of the delegation because we are building a multiracial, multigenerational, district-wide movement for more progressive, more responsive representation at the Capitol. Our campaign has never been solely centered on one person. We rely on the people of South Minneapolis as well as our partner organizations to help shape our vision for a better future for all Minnesotans. I am proud to share my working list of public supporters, elected offical endorsers, and partner organizations. I hope I can add your name as well!
It is no secret that money influences elections. Minnesota has some of the best voter protections in the country. Still, it is no secret that money enables candidates to flood the airwaves and get their message out. The DFL endorsment process gives candidates the opportunity to win with organized people instead of organized money and build the support of the some of the most engaged voters in their district and without needing to raise tens of thousands. Anyone who is eligible to vote can have their voice heard in the endorsing process by showing up to caucus and become delegates the the Senate District Convention. On Caucus night, several hundred residents of District 62 showed up to become delegates for Omar Fateh. Hundreds more were undecided. Over the course of several weeks, our campaign earned the support of a stunning 72.4% of the delegates to make Omar Fateh the next Senator representing District 62. It is common for candidates to pledge to abide by the endorsement, meaning they will accept the outcome of the convention as the will of the people and won't run against an endorsed candidate. Both Omar Fateh and Jeff Hayden agreed in advance of the convention to abide by the DFL endorsement. Jeff Hayden went back on his word and filed his candidacy for re-election anyway. Now, Omar Fateh faces off against him with the full and unequivicol support of the Democratic (DFL) party.
Party leaders know that Omar Fateh is the candidate we need to elect progressive Democrats up and down the ticket, now and in future elections. He appeals to the progressive base of District 62 and brings historically disenfranchised communities into the process, such as renters, communities of color, and working class Minnesotans as a whole. Hear from the chair of the DFL, Ken Martin, about why Omar Fateh is the best candidate to lead our district and our state into the future:
Our campaign has been connecting with progressive, local elected leaders at the city and county level who represent the residents of District 62. These are some of the ones most connected with the needs of our community with firsthand experience working with their state legislators. They support Omar Fateh because they know they need someone who is responsive who will not only engage the community, but work tirelessly to build support for the action we need at all levels of government.
"I’m supporting Omar Fateh for SD 62 because he understands the current issues our district is facing. Like me he understands that housing is a human right, and I’m excited to work together in addressing unsheltered homelessness in our state."
"As both a teacher and Minneapolis School Board Director, I know that Minneapolis families need a strong advocate at the Capitol in St. Paul. Omar Fateh is committed to fighting for fully funded, equitable public schools. Minnesota faces one of the largest achievement gaps in the nation. Omar Fateh understands that the only way to tackle this issue is by fully funding special education and English language learner programs, expanding wrap around services, hiring more teachers of color and ending the school to prison pipeline. He is a fresh progressive voice, and I am excited to work with him to create the schools that our next generation of students and families deserve."
"South Minneapolis is one of the areas that has been hit hardest by continuing cuts to education funding as well as crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, police brutality, and displacement due to skyrocketing housing costs. These factors are making it harder for our students to learn, and for us to provide them with the high quality education they deserve. We need a Senator who is rooted in community, hard working, and shares our progressive values. As a School Board Director and Senate District 62 resident, I am asking you to elect Omar Fateh to the Minnesota Senate this August 11th."
"I'm proud to support Omar Fateh because I have witnessed his dedication to progressive DFL values and the energy of the possible that he brings to every interaction. I know he will be a tireless, positive, and visionary public servant."
Our people-powered campaign is centered on the people of South Minneapolis, a community that is made up of thousands of working Minnesotans. Some unions do not seriously consider challengers to Democratic incumbents. Our focus has been building support from rank and file Union members. We are displaying a list of some of those workers who wanted to be listed as public supporters.
Are you a Rank And File Union Member who lives in South Minneapolis? Want to add your name to this list? Sign your name by clicking here and filling out the form!
Leading up to the DFL endorsement of Omar Fateh, our campaign met with dozens of delegates and who wanted to shair their support for Omar Fateh's candidacy by becoming public endorsers. These are our neighbors who are some of the most engaged activists and community leaders here in South Minneapolis:
"I organize with young folks. Specifically our Black, Brown, Indigenous, communities of color and immigrants to build a politics that works for all of us. Our voices are often shut out from the conversation but I’m excited to vote for a candidate that will prioritize us, center his politics around us, and will bring needed change to our politics and the senate. Our communities need rent control, healthcare as a human right, ensuring our immigrant communities are actually being prioritized, accessibility to transportation, and political courage. I’m excited to support Omar Fateh for Senate District 62 because he will push for bold change and a politics of abundance."
"We live in the Stevens Square - Loring Heights part of Senate District 62. We feel very lucky to live in a place where solidarity between BIPOC, renters, workers, and immigrant communities is essential to our collective well-being, safety, and liberation.
We are excited to support Omar Fateh as our next Senator. It is clear to us and even clearer now in the time of Global Pandemic that we need voices in the Senate that will advocate for radical community driven policies like statewide rent control and investment in public housing as tool for housing justice, free transit as a pathway to equity, and statewide $15 dollar minimum wage as base for what we should pay workers.
We don’t need to operate from a place of scarcity, we don’t need to negotiate against interests, and it’s time to have State Senator that can been held accountable to that and to us.
Early voting has already started, go vote for Omar Fateh!"
"I'm a delegate for ward 9, precinct 4. You got my support Omar Fateh!!
In the beginning of 2019 the State of MN created a reparations committee, I was a seated member. At the State Capitol we held our hearing where exiled Dakota Relatives traveled from across the country, some even came from Canada. We had our Elders there speaking about MMWI, Dakota 38 plus 2, Tribal Sovereignty and reparations. Jeff Hayden stepped in to tell us, "it's nice what all you'll did here today, just don't expect anything from the State of Minnesota." That was his political response as our elected official. It wasn't to work with our (Indigenous People and Nations.) It was a slap in the face, an insult to those in attendance. Our People & Our Tribal Nations was blatantly disregarded.
We need a Senator in office that will continuously meet with his/her constituents, who will be open to partnering and collaborating with the Indigenous People, not a Senator that thinks the People need to submit to their position of power. I've been involved in politics for the last two years now. This interaction with Jeff Hayden was a wake up call.
Now that elections are coming up again, seated candidates will want to be seen in the community, communities that they haven't met with since being seated. These marginalized communities (like the one I live in) will now become their primary focus.
I'm Omar Fateh all the way to convention and back!!"
"My name is Lula. On top of my work as a daytime care provider for seniors, I've worked within the African community around the issues of mental health and addiction. Our community has had a difficult time accepting the reality of these issues affecting us, especially our youth. Rather than steer away from difficult conversations, Omar Fateh has taken these issues head-on. He has worked to build partnerships between the diverse communities of south Minneapolis to learn from each other and work together, and his leadership within the African community has led to destigmatization and opened the door to a better future. He will be a fantastic senator and I am proud to endorse his candidacy as a delegate."
"I have lived in Phillips for several years. I truly love it here, and I want to make sure that this remains an affordable, accessible and comfortable area for everyone who calls Phillips home. I am very concerned about the over-priced housing and gentrification happening in the Lake St area. We need genuinely affordable housing, and we need someone who will do the real work of making sure this happens, not just pay lip service to the idea. Omar Fateh fundamentally understands the puzzle pieces we need to put together to make sure we maintain an affordable and accessible community and how to make sustainable improvements at the same time!"
"I endorse Omar Fateh for State Senator because he represents the values I want to see in the world. Through his platform, I see that Omar believes all human beings are worthy of love, belonging, and thriving. Omar is a welcome breath of fresh air in our current political environment, as he is not afraid to propose bold, pro-people, and pro-planet policies that benefit us all, rather than just a few."
"The indigenous community of South Minneapolis deserves a Senator that prioritizes our issues. Omar Fateh understands the intersections between Native Peoples’ issues, healthcare, housing, the environment and climate change. His vision reflects our interests and I trust him to be present in the community. I’m proud to support him to represent district 62 in the Minnesota Senate"
"I'm voting for Omar Fateh because our district deserves a courageous progressive voice that's not afraid to take on the status quo.
Omar has proven he's a caring, committed, and visionary organizer who will show up for us everyday - not just during election time.
Omar's policy platform and "ganas" truly reflects the heart of our social justice movements. He is the consistent and grounded leader we can trust to advance our momentum for deep systemic change.
Join me in voting for Omar Fateh as our next State Senator for District 62."
“Omar Fateh’s platform reflects the issues that are important to me and so many of my neighbors: truly affordable housing options, fully-funded community schools, zero fare public transportation and aggressively combating climate change. His understanding of the issues we face today resonate with me on a personal level, but are also issues that Minnesotans statewide are facing. His perspective as a progressive community leader is much needed at the Capitol and I look forward to seeing him in St. Paul.”
"Omar Fateh is part of the next generation of East African leaders. As someone who was born in the US and raised in an immigrant household, he is the right person to connect our diverse community and build a coalition of new immigrant, old immigrant, and native Americans."
"I’m endorsing Omar Fateh for MN Senate 62 because he understands the issues facing Minnesotans. Rising rents, income inequality, and climate change are things we debate at a national level but the real changes will have to be made here. We need someone who can propose bold progressive solutions to these problems. I know Omar will be our voice over in St.Paul for the issues we care about."
"I'm endorsing Omar because I am tired of being represented by only the most privileged people in Minnesota. If we want a senate that represents the people, we need to elect our peers and our neighbors, activists and organizers who live in the communities they serve. As a renter and a child of immigrants, Omar does more than speak to the struggles of average Minnesotans; he lives them. I trust Omar to stand up for neighborhoods over big business, resist gentrification, protect our natural resources, and be a voice for change in the Senate."
"I organize with my community to empower Latinxs to make political change. We are on the front lines of crisis, facing gross educational inequality, an immigration system that treats us as subhuman, and environmental deregulation that threatens our health and the future of our communities. I am proud to endorse Omar Fateh for MN Senate 62 because he champions bold solutions to a crisis of inequality. Fateh offers an alternative vision for a Minnesota where all immigrants, People of Color, and poor and working people have an opportunity to thrive."
"I'm Rebecca Chang and I am endorsing Omar Fateh for the DFL nomination in MN Senate 62. Omar stands for the voices and people in our communities that have for too long been ignored and unconsidered. Growing up as the child of two working-class immigrants, I rarely saw people like me in office, or policies targeted to support my community and others like it. After talking with Omar personally, I am confident in his platform for change: fighting for a $15 minimum wage, creating sanctuary policies for undocumented immigrants, enacting broad initiatives for climate change, decarcerating our state system, protecting tenant rights, pushing for affordable housing, and many more. This is one of the first times I have felt truly heard by a candidate running for office as well as in their platform."
"As a longtime resident of Whittier and a founding member of the DFL Feminist Caucus, I recognize and endorse Omar Fateh as the next Senator for the 62nd Senate District. He will serve the whole community with energy and enthusiasm."
"South Minneapolis folks -- as a delegate to the Senate District 62 DFL convention I am supporting Omar Fateh for for State Senate. Our beautifully diverse, progressive neighborhood should be represented by someone who is an unabashed advocate for justice, whose priorities will be guided by the movements for housing, immigrant rights, worker and climate justice. Those are Omar Fateh's roots and priorities and and I would be proud to be represented by him."