Omar Fateh ousts DFL veteran to win party endorsement for Minnesota Legislature

[Admin]

Omar Fateh gained DFL support over state Sen. Jeff Hayden, who was running for a third term to represent his south Minneapolis district. And in the state House of Representatives, Esther Agbaje won the DFL endorsement over state Rep. Raymond Dehn, who was running for a fifth term in a district that represents parts of downtown and north Minneapolis.

The endorsements originally were to be made at party conventions, but were moved online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both incumbents questioned the process and held out the possibility that they would challenge the result in the August primary.

Fateh dominated with 72.4 percent of support from DFL delegates on the first ballot. He needed 60 percent to win the endorsement. His campaign said 582 delegates voted overall.

Fateh is the son of Somali immigrants and grew up in the Washington D.C. area. He moved to Minnesota five years ago, but said he’s been coming to the state to visit family over the summers since he was a child. He has been involved in local issues and public policy, taking part in the 15-Now campaign and serving as vice chair of the Hennepin County 2040 plan advisory committee. He currently works as a business systems analyst at the University of Minnesota.

Describing himself as a democratic socialist, Fateh supports policies like a $15 statewide minimum hourly wage, free public transportation and single-payer health care. He said that the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has shifted Minnesota from seeing years of budget surpluses to a now projected $2.4 billion deficit, has only strengthened his campaign’s priorities.

Two newcomers oust DFL veterans to win party endorsement for Minnesota Legislature

Incumbents say online process that chose a pair of second-generation immigrants was flawed, and that they might run in August primary.

www.mprnews.org

 

[Gadhwayne]

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Im guessing they are from safe and ethnically diverse districts. If so then lets prewelcome Agbaje and AbdiFateh to their new seats