Dear John,
Happy first day of early voting, Minnesotans! While we still have lots of work to do in the next six weeks, we can finally check casting those ballots off our lists. I highly encourage you to check out TakeAction’s 2025 Busy Voter’s Guide for an easy overview of the voting process with artwork that features TakeAction members!
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Regardless of where you’re located, your vote matters. Saint Paul friends, be sure to vote YES to allow the City to issue Administrative Citations to hold bad bosses and corporate landlords accountable when they break the law and YES to fund our public schools. To our Duluth fam, win commonsense repairs for renters by voting YES on Question 1 for Duluth Right to Repair.
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And for my fellow Minneapolis residents — we have the opportunity to elect new leadership for our city. We have the opportunity to do away with broken promises and policies that harm our city’s most vulnerable and choose a mayor who leads with compassion and community mindedness. For me, that person is Omar Fateh.
Recent polling proves we can win this. But we can’t win alone. We need a strong progressive coalition to show up as a voting bloc committed to change, and as Minneapolis voters, we have the unique power of ranked-choice voting to aid us in that mission. As a member of TakeAction’s Political Committee, I engaged in a conversation with my fellow organizers this week about how best to leverage that tool, and felt the power of solidarity when we unanimously affirmed Sen. Fateh as our first choice endorsement and chose to endorse DeWayne Davis and Jazz Hampton each for either the second or third spots on our ballot. I am deeply inspired by both Jazz and DeWayne’s long histories of leadership in our community, especially in fighting for social and economic justice. While Omar remains our first pick, I would be honored to call any one of these candidates my mayor.
It’s clear to all of us that a change is needed — leave Frey off your ballot this year, and fill those slots with candidates who have shown up for their neighbors time and again. We are long overdue for a Minneapolis that takes care of everyone.
Here’s what we’re reading, watching, and listening to this week.
Frey dips in polls, Fateh soars
New polling done by Mpls for the Many shows that Mayor Jacob Frey’s approval rating has decreased by 19 points since 2021. This is in contrast to Omar Fateh’s rating, which has nearly doubled since May. But remember — polls mean nothing unless we get out and VOTE!
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Right to Repair is on Duluth ballots
Duluth Tenants have successfully gotten the Duluth Right to Repair ordinance on the ballot. In a forum Tuesday, Duluth Tenants Lead Organizer DyAnna Grondahl said, “I am here because no one should need to go to court or wait for an inspector just to get a basic repair done. Yet, that’s what renters in Duluth are facing right now.”
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Minneapolis tenant unions
While Duluth’s tenants fight for their rights, Minneapolis renters have also begun to unionize. The Brentwood Tenant Union in Loring Park formed earlier this year, and union members have been hard at work canvassing their neighbors.
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Walz announces third term run
Governor Tim Walz announced Tuesday that he would seek reelection for a third term. He will be up for reelection next November.
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Jimmy Kimmel’s cancellation and what it signals
After what can only be described as relatively innocuous remarks about Charlie Kirk’s assassin, ABC announced it would pull Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show from the air. Political organizer and writer J.P. Hill links the show’s cancellation, and other events like Trump designating “antifa” as a terrorist group, to the fascistic merger of state and corporate power.
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Xp Lee wins special election
The former Brooklyn Park City Councilor won Tuesday’s special election to fill the late Rep. Melissa Hortman’s seat in House District 34B. Lee’s win brings the House back to an even DFL and Republican split.
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Vuelta a España’s final leg cancelled amid mid Pro-Palestine protests
The ongoing demonstrations in solidarity with Palestine forced Spain’s biggest cycling race to cancel and abandon their final stage. Cycling teams have threatened to boycott future races if forced to compete against Israel’s team amid the Palestinian genocide.
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Minneapolis parent calls for Frey accountability
In an emotional Star Tribune op-ed, the parent of a child harmed by an improperly discarded syringe calls on Frey’s administration to take responsibility for the housing and drug crisis in Minneapolis. “Your preferred method of dealing with these uncomfortable and inconvenient truths — encampment sweeps — does not work for us or for our unhoused neighbors. We are deeply harmed by the violence you cause by evicting people who do not have their basic needs met.”
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A primer on ranked-choice
Still a little unclear how ranked-choice voting works? You aren’t alone! This video from MPR is an oldie but a goodie when it comes to explaining the process and value of our voting system here in Minneapolis.
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The artist behind this year’s Busy Voter’s Guide
Our gorgeous, interactive guide was designed by Minneapolis-based illustrator Sean Lark Reece. Check out and support Sean’s work here!
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And that’s a wrap!
Send us what you’re reading, watching and listening to.
Until next time,
Charlie Bartlett
TakeAction Member
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TakeAction Minnesota
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Saint Paul, MN 55114
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