Re: the strength of the DSA in Minnesota - Omar Fateh won 47,000 first rank votes in Minneapolis. Is the DSA a "threat" in any other place in Minnesota besides St. Paul? If the DFL loses the DSA voters, where are they going to go? The DFL would be better off reengaging the voters outside of the Twin Cities who used to vote DFL and have been totally shafted by the Trump administration. There are a lot more than 47,000 of them.
The challenge may be less about the number of voters in Minneapolis and more about the difficulty of understanding—especially outside the city—what the DFL actually stands for and who it represents. Reengaging voters in Greater Minnesota will likely require a clearer, stronger case for how the party’s priorities connect to their everyday concerns. Healthcare is a good example: the DFL’s position seems to vary by candidate, which makes it harder to build trust or a unified message.
Terry, what you've just described is exactly how I'd describe the Republican Party. It has far deeper rifts than the DFL ever will. I agree that the Democratic Socialists are challenging the traditional DFL, but more importantly, the DFL must return to its roots as the Democratic Farmer-Labor party and reverse its corporate trending. This is largely a messaging problem and it isn't a game killer for Democrats. I come from Norwegian farmer roots in Iowa and I believe I could talk to outstate Minnesota Republicans about their issues. The iron ore miners insist on having their unemployment benefits renewed every time the House and Senate convene, and they aren't apologetic about it. They think this is their god-given right. Never mind that bright shiny new local economies can spring up with smart people in charge at the local level. The media is doing an abysmal job of articulating this divide. Personally, Democratic Socialism modeled in Scandinavia is not Socialism or Communism. It just isn't. Period. The MAGA Republicans are a far greater threat to our well-being than any Democratic Governor or Senator in Minnesota. DFL policy is about addition; Republican policy is about subtraction. btw, we've had a Democratic Governor for, what? 30 years? It took decades for the Minnesota Legislature to un-do Tim Pawlenty's red pen tricks. Good governance goes a long way toward state stability.
Thanks for covering this. I went to a South Metro DFL Listening Session, and strongly suggested that Carlbom do more outreach in Minneapolis. There has been too much of statewide DFL candidates taking Minneapolis for granted (except for fundraising)...... Omar Fateh's voters were not all DSA. He had a mixture of DSA voters, and progressive voters. There were also voters who did not vote for Frey who voted for Davis or Hampton, or other candidates. Some DSA voters did withhold their votes from Harris in the last election, and that did hurt her election possibilities. The DFL does need to unite in order to win.
DSA voters aren't Walz's only problem with reelection. The Fraud issue is huge, and Walz needs to show that he is serious about addressing the problem. Talking about repairing car doors isn't going to help with that - in fact, I would be surprised if the rural voters he's trying to reach out to with that condescending ploy appreciate it.
Just to clarify, since things can get murky because of RCV. Fateh did receive a lot of votes, but it was only 32% of the first place votes.
In terms of concerns about the DFL losing the DSA?
Excerpt...
"The State DFL will have to come to terms with DSA voters, or it risks losing them."
But who would we lose the DSA voters to?? I guess they could all stay home, further assisting the Republicans and Trump....emphasis on " further."
The DSA could do a 3rd party run but they have been very resistant to that idea, knowing that not nearly enough support their platform to overcome the two party bias.
More of a significant worry for the Democrats, at least in the MN, and even in some Metro areas, is the DFL losing MORE voters, in part, because of the DSA's efforts to use the DFL to try to gain dominance, ( for themselves) even though that org/party's platform does not even begin to align with the DFL's. That, to me, is a real the problem, especially in MN.
*Not sure how any of this, that the DSA puts out, would be helpful to the Democrats in 2026.
On June 12, 2025, …The Twin Cities DSA sent an email to its members saying: “As we build this movement against Trump, we will not be promoting the Democratic Party … [Democrats] are contributing to economic inequality, wars, deportations, the climate crisis, etc"
The fact that the DFL and DSA platforms are unaligned is a problem. The question is what the State DFL will do to resolve the differences. They've made it extremely difficult to start a third party, essentially leaving the DFL the only avenue for the DSA to work.
Those differences are not resolvable. The DSA has demonstrated much disdain for the Democratic Party, and the DSA platform is, well, it needs a substantial rewrite.
Not sure the DSA ers care that much if the Republicans and the Trump Administration continue to dominant, because then they can just blame all on the Democrats. So, really...ALL of this, in 2024, and now, is pretty unfortunate.
Having said that, fingers and toes crossed for Mpls in 2026 and beyond. So, hoping I feel a bit more positive about both Mpls and the State in 6 months. Time will tell.
*Will see if this list means anything and if we can demonstrate to people in Minneapolis AND the State, that Mpls may be closer to having a functional government. If Mpls stays a hot mess, we may be looking at big problems for MN next fall.
Within the DSA, there is an ongoing debate about the long-term electoral strategy.
Some members favor a "clean break" from the Democrats to immediately form an independent socialist party, arguing that using the Democratic Party's ballot line compromises socialist principles.
Others advocate for using the Democratic ballot line as a temporary, opportunistic measure while simultaneously building the infrastructure for a future independent working-class party. The 2023 DSA national convention saw delegates vote to "act like an independent party," solidifying the organization's shift away from a full realignment strategy and toward one that is more independent and confrontational with the Democrats.
This approach, sometimes referred to as "dirty break," acknowledges the need to use the Democratic ballot line for now while working toward full political independence.
Re: the strength of the DSA in Minnesota - Omar Fateh won 47,000 first rank votes in Minneapolis. Is the DSA a "threat" in any other place in Minnesota besides St. Paul? If the DFL loses the DSA voters, where are they going to go? The DFL would be better off reengaging the voters outside of the Twin Cities who used to vote DFL and have been totally shafted by the Trump administration. There are a lot more than 47,000 of them.
The challenge may be less about the number of voters in Minneapolis and more about the difficulty of understanding—especially outside the city—what the DFL actually stands for and who it represents. Reengaging voters in Greater Minnesota will likely require a clearer, stronger case for how the party’s priorities connect to their everyday concerns. Healthcare is a good example: the DFL’s position seems to vary by candidate, which makes it harder to build trust or a unified message.
Exactly...you took the words right out of my mouth! 👏
Terry, what you've just described is exactly how I'd describe the Republican Party. It has far deeper rifts than the DFL ever will. I agree that the Democratic Socialists are challenging the traditional DFL, but more importantly, the DFL must return to its roots as the Democratic Farmer-Labor party and reverse its corporate trending. This is largely a messaging problem and it isn't a game killer for Democrats. I come from Norwegian farmer roots in Iowa and I believe I could talk to outstate Minnesota Republicans about their issues. The iron ore miners insist on having their unemployment benefits renewed every time the House and Senate convene, and they aren't apologetic about it. They think this is their god-given right. Never mind that bright shiny new local economies can spring up with smart people in charge at the local level. The media is doing an abysmal job of articulating this divide. Personally, Democratic Socialism modeled in Scandinavia is not Socialism or Communism. It just isn't. Period. The MAGA Republicans are a far greater threat to our well-being than any Democratic Governor or Senator in Minnesota. DFL policy is about addition; Republican policy is about subtraction. btw, we've had a Democratic Governor for, what? 30 years? It took decades for the Minnesota Legislature to un-do Tim Pawlenty's red pen tricks. Good governance goes a long way toward state stability.
Thanks for covering this. I went to a South Metro DFL Listening Session, and strongly suggested that Carlbom do more outreach in Minneapolis. There has been too much of statewide DFL candidates taking Minneapolis for granted (except for fundraising)...... Omar Fateh's voters were not all DSA. He had a mixture of DSA voters, and progressive voters. There were also voters who did not vote for Frey who voted for Davis or Hampton, or other candidates. Some DSA voters did withhold their votes from Harris in the last election, and that did hurt her election possibilities. The DFL does need to unite in order to win.
DSA voters aren't Walz's only problem with reelection. The Fraud issue is huge, and Walz needs to show that he is serious about addressing the problem. Talking about repairing car doors isn't going to help with that - in fact, I would be surprised if the rural voters he's trying to reach out to with that condescending ploy appreciate it.
I must have missed what he said about repairing car doors. Could you fill me in?
This was mentioned at his announcement event several times. Walz had repaired the car door of one of his relatives.
Just to clarify, since things can get murky because of RCV. Fateh did receive a lot of votes, but it was only 32% of the first place votes.
In terms of concerns about the DFL losing the DSA?
Excerpt...
"The State DFL will have to come to terms with DSA voters, or it risks losing them."
But who would we lose the DSA voters to?? I guess they could all stay home, further assisting the Republicans and Trump....emphasis on " further."
The DSA could do a 3rd party run but they have been very resistant to that idea, knowing that not nearly enough support their platform to overcome the two party bias.
More of a significant worry for the Democrats, at least in the MN, and even in some Metro areas, is the DFL losing MORE voters, in part, because of the DSA's efforts to use the DFL to try to gain dominance, ( for themselves) even though that org/party's platform does not even begin to align with the DFL's. That, to me, is a real the problem, especially in MN.
*Not sure how any of this, that the DSA puts out, would be helpful to the Democrats in 2026.
https://www.dsausa.org/about-us/what-is-democratic-socialism/
The lead in... "Capitalism is a system designed by the owning class to exploit the rest of us for their own profit. "
https://www.dsausa.org/working-groups/abolition-working-group/
On June 12, 2025, …The Twin Cities DSA sent an email to its members saying: “As we build this movement against Trump, we will not be promoting the Democratic Party … [Democrats] are contributing to economic inequality, wars, deportations, the climate crisis, etc"
The fact that the DFL and DSA platforms are unaligned is a problem. The question is what the State DFL will do to resolve the differences. They've made it extremely difficult to start a third party, essentially leaving the DFL the only avenue for the DSA to work.
Those differences are not resolvable. The DSA has demonstrated much disdain for the Democratic Party, and the DSA platform is, well, it needs a substantial rewrite.
Not sure the DSA ers care that much if the Republicans and the Trump Administration continue to dominant, because then they can just blame all on the Democrats. So, really...ALL of this, in 2024, and now, is pretty unfortunate.
Having said that, fingers and toes crossed for Mpls in 2026 and beyond. So, hoping I feel a bit more positive about both Mpls and the State in 6 months. Time will tell.
*Will see if this list means anything and if we can demonstrate to people in Minneapolis AND the State, that Mpls may be closer to having a functional government. If Mpls stays a hot mess, we may be looking at big problems for MN next fall.
https://minneapolistimes.com/minneapolis-election-results-an-interesting-correlation-to-2021-defund-charter-amendment/
Excerpt.
The City Council
The City Council is now split with 7 moderates and 6 far-left/socialists.
Moderates include:
Ward 3: Michael Rainville
Ward 4: LaTrisha Vetaw
Ward 5: Pearll Warren
Ward6: Jamal Osman
Ward 7: Elizabeth Shaffer
Ward 11: Jamison Whiting
Ward 13: Linea Palmisano
Note that Osman voted with the far-left/socialist coalition during the last term but said that he would be voting with moderates in the upcoming term.
The far-left/socialists include:
Ward 1: Elliott Payne
Ward 2: Robin Wonsley (Socialist)
Ward 8: Soren Stevenson(Socialist)
Ward 9: Jason Chavez (Socialist)
Ward 10: Aisha Chughtai (Socialist)
Ward 12: Aurin Chowdhury (endorsed by the Twin Cities Democratic Socialists in 2023 but did not seek endorsement in 2025)
DSA is internally split on that point.
From A I....Dirty is right.
"A long-term, debated strategy
Within the DSA, there is an ongoing debate about the long-term electoral strategy.
Some members favor a "clean break" from the Democrats to immediately form an independent socialist party, arguing that using the Democratic Party's ballot line compromises socialist principles.
Others advocate for using the Democratic ballot line as a temporary, opportunistic measure while simultaneously building the infrastructure for a future independent working-class party. The 2023 DSA national convention saw delegates vote to "act like an independent party," solidifying the organization's shift away from a full realignment strategy and toward one that is more independent and confrontational with the Democrats.
This approach, sometimes referred to as "dirty break," acknowledges the need to use the Democratic ballot line for now while working toward full political independence.