The bitter divide in our national politics is like nothing we’ve seen in our lifetimes, but the divide in our city politics is deeply troubling as well.
What should be a good working relationship between so-called moderate and so-called progressive DFLers has unraveled into a heated battle over current policies and the future of our city.
The two local super PACs, also known as "independent expenditure-only political action committees," or IEs, that embody this divide are Mpls for the Many and All of Minneapolis.
Remembering which is which is a bit of a cognitive challenge, as is coming up with the right terms to describe their political bent. But in general, Mpls for the Many supports “neo-progressive” or far left candidates, including members of the DSA (Democratic Socialists of America), whereas All of Minneapolis supports “old-line progressives” or more moderate candidates, including Mayor Frey.
IEs have no limits on the amount of money they can raise, but they cannot contribute directly to a political party or candidate or coordinate with their campaigns. However, they may spend money to support a candidate with such things as ads or mailings, as both
have done extensively.
All of Minneapolis was formed in 2021 by moderate DFLers with the stated goal of “counteracting the divisive political discourse that currently dominates Minneapolis elections and policymaking.” They successfully raised funds and worked to defeat the amendment that was on the ballot that year to defund the Minneapolis Police Department and replace it with a Department of Public Safety.
Mpls for the Many was founded by activist Chelsea McFarren in 2023 with the stated goal of “electing a progressive majority to the Minneapolis City Council in the November 2023 election.”
Most of the social media and mailings from Mpls for the Many endorse neo-progressive candidates and members of the DSA and lay the blame for the city’s problems on Mayor Frey and wealthy “limousine liberals,” whom they see as perpetuating an unjust economic system. As is obvious from their name, the DSA supports a socialist agenda.
Most of the mailings from All of Minneapolis fault the far left neo-progressives on the City Council for wasting time passing statements about foreign affairs, balking at passing funds to help rebuild the MPD and for promoting an anti-business agenda.
All of Minneapolis has outraised and outspent Mpls for the Many, but Mpls for the Many has out-organized All of Mpls, taking a more boots-on-the-ground activist approach and being very successful in getting their candidates elected in 2023.
Both sides agree that there are urgent issues to be addressed, including the climate crisis, affordable housing and public safety. But to say they don’t agree on how to do that is an understatement.
The Rift
I identify as a Wellstonian Democrat, a pragmatic progressive, and have contributed to All of Minneapolis. I consider many of the solutions proposed by the neo-progressives to be well-intended but ideologically driven, unrealistic, unaffordable and unsupportive of neighborhood businesses such as those in crisis in Uptown.
The neo-progressives rightly cite the urgency of the moment — such as acting on climate change and the housing crisis—and say that the problem is people like me who are “clinging to their privilege.”
That’s a bit, well, rich! I’ve worked for social, racial and gender justice my entire life.
A healthy city — and country — needs the voice of activists to push for necessary change, but it also needs pragmatic leadership to parse the details of those changes, a strong tax base to pay for them, and even the perspective of people who’ve been around for a while.
On the flip side, those who’ve been around for a while need to be willing to consider new approaches. As Ben Franklin wrote at age 81 as he signed the Declaration of Independence, noting that he didn’t approve of all of it, “For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged by better information, or fuller consideration, to change opinions even on important subjects, which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise.”
My husband and I have lived in Lowry Hill for 50 years and in that time we have volunteered in public schools and on neighborhood festivals, worked on political campaigns and helped build a thriving literary community.
All those years I believed that I was helping to knit the fabric of community, creating a colorful and complex sweater that would be valued by future generations. It’s painful to see it being unraveled and to be told we were only knitting it for ourselves. We weren’t.
But having made mistakes and unraveled a few sweaters in my life, I know that the yarn can be used again to knit a different pattern, a style more suited to a new generation. I’m nearly at the end of my skein, but if someone drops a stitch, I’m here to help pick it up — or if need be, to deliver a sharp jab with my needles.
