Thursday September 25, 2025
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (HOL) — Minnesota state Sen. Omar Fateh, a Democratic-Farmer-Labor lawmaker running for Minneapolis mayor, said his campaign office was vandalized this week with a threatening message that read, “Somali Muslim — this warning is no joke.”
Fateh’s campaign filed a police report on Wednesday and released a statement vowing not to be intimidated.
“Our campaign will not be deterred by hate speech and vandalism. We will not back down to Islamophobia. I will not be bullied or intimidated,” Fateh said. “The people of Minneapolis are demanding change, and I will continue fighting for it.”
The Minneapolis Police Department confirmed the report and said the case has been referred to its Behavioral Threat Assessment Team. No arrests have been made.
Mayor Jacob Frey, who is also seeking re-election, condemned the vandalism and said city staff removed the graffiti Thursday morning. “Acts of Islamophobia and hate against any religion or ethnicity have no place in Minneapolis,” Frey said. “I spoke with Senator Fateh yesterday and made it clear that my office, MPD, and our administration all stand ready to help.”
The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations called on local, state and federal authorities to investigate the incident as a hate crime. “This alleged threat is not just against one individual — it is an attack on Minnesota’s Somali, Muslim, and immigrant communities, and on our democratic process,” CAIR-MN executive director Jaylani Hussein said.
Fateh, 35, has previously faced a
wave of threats and harassment online. His campaign said he was on a “hit list” linked to Vance Boelter, who was charged in June with killing state House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and wounding Sen. John Hoffman and his wife. Fateh has also been the target of right-wing commentators who questioned his loyalty despite his U.S. birth in Washington, D.C.
Fateh, the first
Somali American Muslim elected to the Minnesota Legislature, is challenging Frey in the Nov. 4 mayoral election. His campaign has been marked by both high-profile support and
controversy, including the
revocation of his DFL endorsement in July after disputes over convention procedures.