Dan Proft spoke with John Hinderaker, president of the Center of the American Experiment, about the upcoming Minneapolis mayoral race and the sharp ideological divide it represents.
At the center of the conversation was Omar Fateh, a Minnesota state senator and self-identified member of the Democratic Socialists of America, who is expected to run for mayor of Minneapolis. Fateh has openly embraced far-left positions on housing, policing, and immigration, drawing comparisons to New York City council member Tiffany Cabán and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Hinderaker warned that a Fateh administration would signal a deepening of Minneapolis’s radical policies, particularly in a city already grappling with a depleted tax base, rising crime, and commercial abandonment following the George Floyd unrest. “The city’s in a death spiral,” Hinderaker said, citing the flight of businesses and a looming surge in residential property taxes. “If Fateh gets in, it’s going to be war again on the Minneapolis Police Department.”
The discussion contrasted Fateh with incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey, who, while progressive, is seen as more pragmatic. Hinderaker described Frey as “not stupid” and said he has at least tried to make the city livable, distancing himself from the city council’s more anti-police rhetoric.
The conversation also touched on a bizarre criminal case involving another Minnesota state senator, Nicole Mitchell, who was recently arrested for allegedly breaking into her stepmother’s home dressed in black and attempting to steal a laptop and personal items. Mitchell, a Democrat, is currently standing trial for first-degree burglary but was allowed to vote during the legislative session thanks to a party-line decision. Hinderaker called it a “classic example of political expediency,” noting that once Mitchell refused to resign, party leaders stopped pressuring her to do so.
Turning to Governor Tim Walz, Hinderaker noted that while Walz has not officially announced a 2026 re-election bid, he is widely expected to run. Walz recently appeared on a podcast with Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama’s brother, and ruled out a 2028 presidential campaign. Despite his declining popularity and a plurality of voters opposing another run, Hinderaker said the lack of strong Republican challengers in Minnesota could help Walz secure a third term.
Finally, the interview shifted to Donald Trump’s recent reversal on the Jeffrey Epstein case. Initially dismissing the conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein’s death and alleged ties to intelligence agencies, Trump now supports unsealing grand jury materials and releasing redacted documents. Hinderaker criticized the decision as an unforced error. “You never make public raw, unredacted investigation files,” he said. “Trump is trying to pacify the Epstein conspiracy theorists, and I’m afraid it might not end well.”
As Minneapolis prepares for another contentious mayoral election, Hinderaker warned that voters may once again face a false choice—between bad and worse. Whether the city chooses the stability of Frey or the radicalism of Fateh, the outcome could serve as a bellwether for the future of progressive urban governance across the country.