THE PRAIRIE EDITOR: Will Tim Walz Have To Withdraw?

The ongoing revelations and allegations of massive

fraud in Minnesota will have numerous legal

consequences in the months and years ahead.

There will also be political consequences, especially

in the state’s midterm campaign cycle now underway,

and which could affect election outcomes in races for

governor, all other statewide offices, U.S. senator,

and races for U.S. House.

The heaviest burden of responsibility and political

blame arising from widespread fraud in various 

state-run programs will likely fall on Democratic-Farmer-

Labor (DFL) Governor Tim Walz and his administration.

Walz recently announced he will run next year for an

unprecedented third four-year term, despite polls

indicating significant loss of his voter approval even

before the lates allegations of fraud and

mismanagement of state programs.

In recent years the DFL has been the dominant political

party in Minnesota, controlling all statewide offices and

most of the offices in Minneapolis and St.Paul, as well

as in most other cities.

The Republican Party in Minnesota leads only in rural

and other outstate areas, and holds four of the eight 

congressional seats. The DFL lead among urban

voters, especially in Minneapolis and St. Paul, has

significantly outnumbered any GOP lead outstate.

The DFL state party has also created a formidable

get-out-the-vote (GOTV) operation throughout the

state. The GOP state party has floundered in recent

years, and has no GOTV organization to match

their opponents.

In 2024, with its own Governor Walz on the national

ticket, however, the DFL won the state by far less than

expected, and in the 2025 off-year local elections, the

DFL was bitterly divided in the state’s largest city’s

mayoral election in Minneapolis. In the states’s

capital and second largest city, the DFL mayor was

opposed and in an upset, defeated by a more

moderate DFL challenger. In Minneapolis, the

moderate liberal incumbent survived a bitter challenge

from a socialist candidate.

Several major Republican candidates have already

announced they will run for governor of Minnesota

next year. 

A private poll recently indicated that the race for

the open U.S. senate seat is much closer than

expected by most political observers of both parties.

A potentially competitive race for the 2nd District\

congressional has occurred following the DFL

incumbent’s retirement to run for the U.S. senate

seat.

Bitter feelings between some DFL leaders in the

aftermath of the 2025 Minneapolis mayoral election

could linger to divide the usual party unity, and

affect the DFL’s vital GOTV efforts in 2026.

Governor Tim Walz is the likeliest focus of political

criticism in this rapidly changing political

environment. When he announced for re-election,

it was assumed he would have no challengers from

his own party. But if the growing fraud scandal

allegations continue to pile up and prove true, he

may be forced, as Joe Biden did in 2024, to retire

from his re-election race or face certain defeat.

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Copyright (c) 2025 by Barry Casselman. All rights reserved.

THE PRAIRIE EDITOR: The 2025 Twin City Elections

 

The Democratic socialist running for mayor of Minneapolis

against incumbent Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party

Mayor Jacob Frey this year failed to unseat Frey who won

a third term in office.

There were fifteen candidates on the non-partisan ballot.

At least three identified with the Democratic Socialists of

America (DSA). No significant Republican ran for mayor.

The controversial ranked-choice voting system is used in

Minneapolis city elections. Frey did not have at least 50

percent plus one in the actual vote counting, but voters

can also make second and third choices on their ballots

so that if no candidate has a majority, second and third

choices are allocated into subsequent calculations until

there are only two candidates left.

Frey reached just over 50% in the second round, and his

major opponent, Omar Fatah was about 6000 votes 

behind.

The mayor had led by about 15,000 votes (42%)in the 

actual counting of the votes, but his three main DSA

opponents had a combined total of 56%. They had

asked their voters to choose only  DSA candidates for

their second and third choices, thus enabling one of them

(most likely Fatah) to overcome Frey’s first ballot lead

and win the election.

With a list of fifteen candidates for mayor, this was an

almost impossible quest because the ballot was so

complicated. In fact, the two trailing DSA candidates’

second and third choices were divided, and Frey received

a substantial enough number of them to win the election.

The Republican Party in the Twin Cities can only muster

about 20-25% of the vote, and thus has little presence

in Minneapolis and St. Paul. They hold few, if any, elected

offices.

Mayor Frey also had good news that regular DFLers

had gained seats on the City Council. DSA and other

radical council members still had a 7-6 majority, but

they no longer had the votes to override a mayoral

vetp. This outcome signals that there will be

stalemate ahead on controversial proposals and

projects — although Frey and his supporting council

members are quite liberal DFLers, and conservative

policies will not be enacted.

In St. Paul, incumbent Mayor Melvin Carter was

defeated for re-election in a stunning upset by

Laotian-born state legislator Kaohly Her who had

entered the race at the last minute, but she had

campaigned tirelessly. As in Minneapolis, St. Paul

city candidates are liberal DFLers, but Mayor-elect

Her is considered to be more moderate than Carter

who had seemed by many observers not to be a

hands-on mayor. Nevertheless, his defeat was a

surprise to most political observers.

All the members of the St. Pau; City Council are

women.

With statewide elections taking place next year,

and key gubernatorial, congressional and legislative

offices at stake, the 2025 urban elections suggest

that the DFL control of statewide offices might face

serious challenge. Republicans have a majority in

outstate Minnesota, including rural areas and most

small towns. The main voter battlefield will in the

suburbs which are more evenly split between the

two parties.

The divide between the regular DFL Party and its

more leftist DSA voters could affect the outcome

of the elections for governor, U.S. senator and other

offices in that the formidable DFL get-out-the-vote

operation could weaken as party leaders continue to 

openly feud and criticize each other in the aftermath 

of the bitter city elections just held.

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Copyright (c) 2025 by Barry Casselman. All rights reserved.