TakeAction Minnesota Endorsements for the 2021 Minneapolis Election
Election season starts September 17. Get ready to cast your ballot for the 2021 Minneapolis election.
Minneapolis Mayor
Rank Kate Knuth for Mayor
Kate Knuth is a former three-term state representative and sustainability scientist running for Mayor of Minneapolis in 2021.
Endorsements: DFL Environmental Caucus, Friends of Lake Hiawatha, MN350 Action (1st or 2nd), OutFront Minnesota Action (2nd), Sierra Club Northstar Chapter, TakeAction Minnesota (1st or 2nd)
✔ Supports Yes 4 Minneapolis public safety and rent stabilization amendment
Rank Sheila Nezhad for Mayor
Sheila Nezhad is a community organizer and policy expert on public safety and municipal budgets running for Mayor of Minneapolis in 2021.
Endorsements: LGBTQ Victory Fund, Minnesota Young DFL, MN350 Action (1st or 2nd), OutFront Minnesota Action (1st), Stonewall DFL, Twin Cities DSA, Twin Cities Mutual Aid Project, TakeAction Minnesota (1st or 2nd)
✔ Supports Yes 4 Minneapolis public safety and rent stabilization amendment
Rank Sheila Nezhad and Kate Knuth for Minneapolis Mayor #DontRankFrey.
Minneapolis City Council
Minneapolis Park Board
City Charter Amendments
Question 1: Government Structure: Executive Mayor-Legislative Council
ABOUT: The “strong Mayor” charter amendment consolidates city power under the Mayor, weakening the power of our local democracy. This amendment would strictly limit legislative power, unless actions were supported or directed by the mayor—it’s wrong.
Who supports it: This amendment was proposed by the Minneapolis Charter Commission, not voters.
Bottom line: Weakening our local democracy does nothing to improve the lives of Minneapolis residents.
❌ Be a NO voter on the “strong mayor” amendment.
Question 2: Department of Public Safety
ABOUT: The Yes 4 Minneapolis public safety amendment creates a new Department of Public Safety with greater public oversight. The new Department of Public Safety would expand our current system so that licensed police officers could be joined by mental health responders, substance abuse specialists, violence interrupters, and prevention specialists under one department.
Who supports it: Over 22,000 Minneapolis residents petitioned for the amendment along with over 30 community, faith, and labor organizations.
What to know: The new Department of Public Safety would include licensed police officers (which are required by state law), creating the same public safety structure as the State of Minnesota.
Bottom line: We can keep city charter language passed by the police federation in 1961, or we can create a new Department of Public Safety that serves and protects all of us, no matter our race, income, or zip code.
✅ Be a YES voter for a new Department of Public Safety.
Question 3: Authorizing the city council to enact rent control
ABOUT: This amendment allows rent control policies to be passed through either a city ordinance or by a ballot question decided by voters.
Who supports it: Renters across the city have organized to take on hedge-fund landlords and remove barriers to rent stabilization. Nearly two dozen community, faith, and labor organizations support the Home to Stay rent stabilization coalition.
Bottom line: Everyone deserves a safe, decent, affordable place to call home. Approving this amendment gives Minneapolis the tools we need to stabilize rent.
✅ Be a YES voter for rent control.
Get Ready to Vote
When does voting start?
Early voting starts Friday, September 17 and runs until Tuesday, November 2. All the information you need is in our Busy Voter’s Guide to Election Season.
