2025 Minneapolis City Council election explained

Election Name:2025 Minneapolis City Council election
Country:Minneapolis
Type:legislative
Ongoing:yes
Previous Election:Minneapolis City Council election, 2023
Previous Year:2023
Next Election:2029 Minneapolis City Council election
Next Year:2029
Seats For Election:All 13 seats on the Minneapolis City Council
Majority Seats:7
Image1:Elliott Payne Speaking 2023 (cropped).jpg
Leader1:Elliott Payne
Leaders Seat1:Ward 1
Party1:Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
Last Election1:12
Leader2:Robin Wonsley
Leaders Seat2:Ward 2
Party2:Democratic Socialists (DSA)
Color2:EB2128
Last Election2:1
President
Before Election:Elliott Payne
Before Party:Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party

The 2025 Minneapolis City Council election will occur in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States on November 4, 2025. The Minneapolis City Council is made up of 13 members representing different parts of the city. Members elected in 2025 will serve four-year terms.[1] Council members will be elected alongside the mayor and other municipal offices.[2]

Background

This is the first Minneapolis City Council election since 2017 in which members are elected to the usual 4-year terms, rather than 2-year terms. In 2020, voters passed a ballot measure to elect council members to two separate, two-year terms in 2021 and 2023. This measure was meant to keep city council and mayoral terms concurrent.[3]

Retiring members

Electoral system

The 13 members of the city council are elected from single-member districts via instant-runoff voting, commonly known as ranked choice voting. Voters have the option of ranking up to three candidates in order of preference. Municipal elections in Minnesota are officially nonpartisan, although candidates are able to identify with a political party on the ballot. Write-in candidates must file a request with the Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services Division for votes for them to be counted.

Summary of results

PartyCandidates1st Choice VotesSeats
%%
Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL)
Democratic Socialists of America
Republican Party
Socialist Workers Party
Independent
Write-in
Total
Valid votes
Overvotes
Undervotescolspan="1" align="right" -colspan="1" align="right" -colspan="1" align="right" -
Turnout (registered voters)

Ward 1

The 1st ward is based in northeast Minneapolis, stretching from the neighborhoods of Waite Park and Columbia Park down to Como.[6] The incumbent is Democrat and council president Elliott Payne, who was elected with 89.71% of the vote in 2023.[7]

Ward 2

The 2nd ward contains the neighborhoods of Cooper, Prospect Park, and University District, as well as portions of Seward and Cedar-Riverside. The incumbent is independent Robin Wonsley, who was re-elected with 67.63% of the vote in the first round 2023.[7]

Ward 3

The 3rd ward contains the neighborhoods of Marcy-Holmes and St. Anthony as well as Nicollet Island and Downtown Minneapolis. The incumbent is Democrat Michael Rainville, who won 69.45% of the vote in the first round in his 2023 re-election.[7]

Ward 4

The 4th ward contains the neighborhoods of Jordan and Victory. The incumbent is Democrat LaTrisha Vetaw, who was re-elected with 69.36% of the vote in the first round in 2023.[7]

Ward 5

The 5th ward contains the neighborhoods of Harrison, Near North, Hawthorne, and North Loop. The incumbent is Democrat Jeremiah Ellison, who was re-elected in Round 1 with 52.54% of the vote in 2023.[7] Ellison is not seeking re-election.[4]

Ward 6

The 6th ward contains the neighborhoods of Philips West, and Ventura Village, as well as portions of Seward, Stevens Square-Loring Heights, Cedar-Riverside, and Elliot Park. The incumbent is Democrat Jamal Osman, who was re-elected in the second round of ranked-choice tabulation, receiving 44.73% of first-choice votes and 58.18% of final votes.[7]

Ward 7

The 7th ward contains the neighborhoods of Bryn Mawr, Cedar-Isles-Dean, Downtown West, East Isles, Kenwood, Loring Park, and Lowry Hill, as well as portions of Stevens Square-Loring Heights and Elliot Park. The incumbent is Democrat Katie Cashman, who was first elected in the second round of ranked-choice tabulation in 2023, winning 48.41% of first-choice votes and 51.12% of final votes.[7]

Ward 8

The 8th ward contains the neighborhoods of Kingfield, Lyndale, Northrop, and Regina. The incumbent is Democrat Andrea Jenkins, who was re-elected in the second round of ranked-choice-voting in 2023 despite receiving fewer first-choice votes than opponent Soren Stevenson. Jenkins won in 2023 with 43.32% of first-choice votes and 50.24% of final-round votes.[7]

Ward 9

The 9th ward contains the neighborhoods of Corcoran, East Phillips, Longfellow, Midtown Phillips, and Powderhorn Park. The incumbent is Democrat Jason Chavez, who was re-elected in the first round of tabulation with 78.94% of the vote in 2023.[7]

Ward 10

The 10th ward contains the neighborhoods of East Bde Maka Ska, Lowry Hill East, South Uptown, and Whittier, as well as a portion of East Harriet. The incumbent is Democrat and current council vice president Aisha Chughtai, who was re-elected in the first round with 60.74% of the vote in 2023.[7]

Ward 11

The 11th ward contains the neighborhoods of Diamond Lake, Hale, Page, Northrop, Tangletown, Wenonah, and Windom, as well as a portion of Keewaydin. The incumbent is Democrat Emily Koski, who was re-elected with 88.36% of the first-round vote in 2023.[7] Koski is not seeking re-election, focusing instead on a bid for mayor.[8]

Ward 12

The 12th ward contains the neighborhoods of Cooper, Ericsson, Hiawatha, Howe, Minnehaha, Morris Park, and Standish, as well as a portion of Keewaydin. The incumbent is Democrat Aurin Chowdhury, who was first elected with 53.75% of the vote in round 1 in 2023.[7]

Ward 13

The 13th ward contains the neighborhoods of Armatage, Fulton, Kenny, Linden Hills, Lynnhurst, and West Maka Ska, as well as a portion of East Harriet. The incumbent is Democrat Linea Palmisano, who was re-elected in the first round with 73.58% of the vote in 2023.[7]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Minneapolis Charter & Elected Officials . City of Minneapolis: Office of the City Clerk . November 27, 2024 . April 2019.
  2. Web site: What's on the Ballot? . City of Minneapolis Elections and Voter Services . 19 November 2024.
  3. News: Hinrichs . Erin . Gustavo . Solomon . Twin Cities results: Minneapolis passes ballot questions; new members elected to Hennepin County Board . 27 November 2024 . November 4, 2020.
  4. News: Swanson . Stephen . Jeremiah Ellison won't seek reelection to Minneapolis City Council . November 27, 2024 . WCCO News . CBS . November 26, 2024.
  5. News: Nace . Aki . Minneapolis City Councilmember Emily Koski announces mayoral run . 4 December 2024 . WCCO News . December 4, 2024.
  6. News: Van Oot . Torey . Who's running for Minneapolis City Council in 2023 . 6 May 2023 . Axios Twin Cities . March 26, 2023.
  7. Web site: November 8, 2023 . Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services . 2023 Election results.
  8. News: Nace . Aki . Minneapolis City Councilmember Emily Koski announces mayoral run . 4 December 2024 . WCCO News . December 4, 2024.