With one notable exception, the 2023 race for the Ward 10 city council seat has been a quieter affair than 2021, when then-incumbent Council Member (and president) Lisa Bender opted not to run for reelection and subsequently moved to Minnetonka. Six candidates, including incumbent Aisha Chughtai, ran in a spirited campaign for the open seat, in which Chughtai ultimately received nearly 60% of the ranked-choice vote.
Fast-forward to 2023, and the candidate field stands at four. Now with the benefit of incumbency, Council Member Chughtai is seeking reelection to her seat while facing three new challengers: Bruce Dachis, Greg Kline and Nasri Warsame. Three of the four candidates identify as DFLers, while candidate Kline listed “abolish bike lanes” as his “political party or principle” in his affidavit of candidacy.
While the current Ward 10 race may be somewhat quieter than its 2021 counterpart, a notable exception is the brawl that erupted at the DFL endorsing convention on May 13th, when supporters of Nasri Warsame rushed the stage as Chughtai’s turn came to speak. Injuries occurred, the police were called, and the whole incident made national news.
In consequence, Warsame was banned by the state DFL from ever again seeking or receiving the DFL endorsement. For her part, Chughtai sought to cast the young, immigrant Warsame as an instrument of the wealthy and powerful, claiming the fracas occurred “because we’ve shown the wealthiest folks in this city, and the politicians they’ve bought, that the people of this city have the power to make real change and build the community we deserve. That’s why they’re afraid of us. That’s why they stormed at us.”
Taken in alphabetical order, here’s more information on each of the four candidates:
Aisha Chughtai (incumbent)
The incumbent candidate, Aisha Chughtai, describes herself on her website as “a champion for the people in our ward, and across the city, that are often forgotten — renters, Black, Indigenous, and people of color, immigrants, students, our unhoused neighbors, and working class people.” A child of immigrants, Chughtai states that she began her working career in retail and childcare, ultimately rising to become the political organizer for the Service Employees International Union Minnesota State Council. As a political organizer, she states that she has “spent most of my career working to elect progressive and socialist candidates.”
On the issues, Chughtai is a supporter of rent control, designating permanent places for homeless encampments and implementing the People’s Climate and Equity Plan. A supporter of defunding the Minneapolis police department during her 2021 campaign, Chughtai states that she now wants to help oversee implementation of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights consent decree, “[e]stablish community control over MPD,” and “implement restorative solutions to address the rise in violence perpetrated by young people.” Uptown is also on her to-do list: “Continue the critical work to bring Uptown back and make sure locally-owned businesses can open up and stay in Uptown.” Chughtai was a staunch supporter of the Hennepin Avenue Reconstruction Plan advocating for 24/7 dedicated BRT lanes, bike lanes and eliminating parking on Hennepin (in favor of BRT lanes).
Chughtai has received the endorsement of both the Minneapolis DFL and the Democratic Socialists of America, as well as the SEIU, AFSCME Council 5, the Sierra Club, Women Winning, Take Action MN and many others. More information about Chughtai and her campaign can be found at: aishaforward10.com.
Bruce Dachis
Political newcomer Bruce Dachis is a LynLake resident who has owned and operated a number of business interests in the Uptown area since 1984, primarily focused on real estate development. A lifelong Twin Cities resident whose parents hailed from North Minneapolis, Dachis states on his website that he is “running to represent Ward 10 … because our current crime levels are unacceptable.” Says Dachis: “I believe residents should feel safe and secure in their homes and on our streets,” and that he is running “to make that a reality for all.”
On the issues, Dachis states that his number one priority is public safety, and he is concerned about the hostility faced by current officers, and — along with supporting them in their current work — wants to support programs that encourage officer candidates as the MPD works to rebuild its ranks.
Dachis also wants to see a revitalized Uptown, and believes that can be accomplished, in part, by halting the pending Hennepin Avenue redesign and revisiting Up-town’s status as a special taxing district, which he believes will discourage new businesses from entering the market.
Dachis states that he also has special concern for people suffering from opioid addiction, which he links to the homeless crisis and unhealthy encampments for the unhoused.
Describing himself as a supporter of affordable housing, Dachis states that calls for rent control need to be balanced with economic factors such as taxes, expenses and the potential to unintentionally hinder future construction.
Although he entered the race only shortly before the candidate filing deadline, Dachis states he has received support from DFL stalwarts such as Sam and Sylvia Kaplan, Jim and Julie Graves, and Stuart Ackerberg. More information about Dachis and his campaign can be found at: brucedachis.com.
Greg Kline
In a possible bid for second choice votes in the Minneapolis ranked choice voting system, candidate Greg Kline filed to run for the Ward 10 seat on the sole principle “abolish bike lanes.” As of this writing, he does not appear to have a campaign website, nor did he respond to a request for additional information.
Nasri Warsame
Another political newcomer, Nasri Warsame describes himself on his website as “a renter, soccer coach, community service officer, and former refugee from Somalia” who is pursuing a career in law enforcement.
On the issues, Warsame states that his campaign is built on five pillars: (1) public safety, (2) opposing rent control while holding abusive landlords accountable, (3) revitalizing Uptown, (4) ending encampments by “finding a more sustainable solution” and (5) engaging with the Minneapolis 2040 Plan, particularly as to housing, transportation and sustainability.
More information about Warsame and his campaign can be found at: nasriwarsame.com.
A Note
The Hill & Lake Press sent a request for information to each of the four campaigns. Of those campaigns, Bruce Dachis responded with a one-on-one interview, and the Chughtai campaign sent an email stating that Council Member Chughtai was temporarily off the campaign trail due to a medical issue. Neither Kline nor Warsame responded at all.
The Hill & Lake Press sends its best wishes to Council Member Chughtai for a speedy recovery!
