Walz Endorses Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey For Re-Election, Melvin Carter For St. Paul

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Gov. Tim Walz on Friday announced the candidates he is endorsing for the upcoming mayoral elections in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Brooklyn Park.

Walz says he is endorsing Mayor Jacob Frey for Minneapolis and Mayor Melvin Carter for St. Paul for re-election.

He also backed Hollies Winston, a DFL-endorsed candidate running in the Brooklyn Park special election, which will take place on Aug. 10.

Walz noted that the candidates had spent the past year fighting to limit the spread of COVID-19, while supporting small businesses and helping rebuild the economy.

"This past year reminded us just how important our local elected officials are. We would not be seeing record low COVID-19 numbers, rapidly increasing employment numbers, and economic growth throughout the state without the help and hard work of these dedicated public servants," he said.

In June, the Minneapolis DFL party announced it will not be endorsing any candidate in the city's upcoming mayoral race, after none of the candidates reached the 60% threshold necessary for their support.

Last year, in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd and the following unrest, Walz and Frey engaged in a back-and-forth about the delay in deploying the National Guard.

Frey claimed he had called the governor for aid on Wednesday, May 27, but Walz said he did not consider the phone call a hard ask, but more of a general ask about potential guard help.

"I don't think the mayor knew what he was asking for," Walz said in a WCCO interview in August, when asked about the delay. Walz officially activated the national guard the next day.

Both the Minneapolis and St. Paul election dates are set for Nov. 2.