During a press briefing on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt highlighted concerns regarding New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s socialist agenda. However, another candidate has emerged on the political landscape who also warrants attention.
Introducing Omar Fateh, a 35-year-old Muslim democratic socialist vying for the mayoral seat in Minneapolis. Recently, he has gained national notoriety following the resurfacing of a video in which he downplayed fears surrounding immigrant-related terrorism, categorizing white individuals as the “greatest domestic threat.”
Born to Somali immigrants, Fateh spent his formative years in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., eventually graduating from George Mason University before relocating to Minnesota around 2015 to join Gov. Tim Walz’s administration.
Despite his American roots, Fateh often refers to Somalia as his “home.” During a campaign speech recorded on the platform X, he expressed, “I understand that our Somali communities are all connected to each other, here in Minnesota and back home, and I ask for your support.”
Elected to the Minnesota state Senate in 2020—during the same year that the Black Lives Matter protests rocked Minneapolis, causing an estimated $55 million in damages according to the New York Post—Fateh has served two legislative terms. Throughout this time, he has advocated for free college tuition for families earning below $80,000 annually.
As a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Fateh is set to challenge incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey in the upcoming November election. His platform aligns closely with that of Mamdani’s, emphasizing progressive policies.
Fateh’s campaign promises include not only government-funded college education but also rent price freezes, raising the minimum wage to $20 per hour, and addressing what he describes as the “cycle of violence and brutality perpetuated by the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) that has held our city captive for far too long,” as detailed on his campaign website.
The Citizen Watch Report notes that Fateh has pledged to prevent the Minneapolis Police Department from coordinating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, regardless of the circumstances.
On social issues, Fateh holds strong leftist views. His vision entails facilitating public education for undocumented immigrants, maintaining Minneapolis as a “safe haven” for abortion access and “gender-affirming health care,” as well as securing funding for employee resource groups aimed at fostering a “diverse workforce.”
However, his most contentious remark resurfaced in a video clip from a 2023 Senate floor speech on X, during which Fateh suggested that his white, Republican colleagues resembled terrorists.
In his own words, Fateh declared, “We’ve heard them being called terrorists… We’ve heard that they’re a threat to our national security, and that’s a flat-out lie.”
He continued, “You want to know who the real threat is? They look like many of the members that sit in the front.” Citing the Department of Homeland Security, he emphasized, “The greatest domestic threat facing the United States comes from ‘racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists, specifically those who advocate for the superiority of the white race.’”
Priyam Gera