Minneapolis mayoral candidate Brenda Short is alleging racial discrimination and procedural misconduct by both the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party and its Minneapolis chapter, claiming the party has attempted to silence her candidacy and others like hers.
In a public statement, Short said she has been repeatedly disrespected by DFL leadership and deliberately denied access to resources granted to other candidates. “I believe the majority of the Minneapolis DFL voters are trying to silence the voices of our voters,” she said.
Short alleged that despite multiple attempts to contact both state and city DFL chairs, she was denied access to the party’s voter data system, an essential tool used by candidates to contact and mobilize voters. She said she was forced to obtain data from an out-of-state third-party company.
Short also accused the party of allowing volunteers to manipulate delegate lists and withhold them from candidates following the caucus process and prior to ward conventions. She cited community members who claimed their names were removed from delegate lists without explanation.
“I myself did not attend the caucus, but a few days before my convention, my name suddenly appeared on the delegate list for my ward,” she said, adding to her concerns over transparency and fairness.
Short claimed that Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, the incumbent seeking reelection, was given preferential treatment at DFL conventions. “At one convention, they allowed our current mayor to make a speech during our prayer break — disrespecting our religion and our community members,” she said.
The most serious accusations made by Short involve what she describes as overt racism by DFL volunteers and operatives. In one instance, she said a volunteer made a racially charged comment during a virtual ward meeting, stating, “There’s too many of them running for office,” in reference to candidates of color. She also said the individual explicitly linked denial of data access to candidates’ race.
“It was racism that caused many ward conventions to be affected,” said Short. “Particularly those where people of color were running for office.”
Short further criticized the DFL’s handling of a former party chair, who she says resigned following a complaint from a woman of color but has continued to operate in a leadership capacity behind the scenes.
“The DFL allowed our current chair to resign but still hold his position,” she said. “Instead of transferring power to the co-chair, he is secretly still doing his job.”
In a closing statement, Short alleged she was physically assaulted at two separate conventions and that her campaign team was followed and photographed after one event. She said she chose not to report the incidents to law enforcement, citing a history of distrust in the system.
“As a Black woman, I understand the history of white supremacy and assaults. Reporting that would go nowhere,” she said. “But I stand before you today and say, yes — my name is Brenda Short, and I will be on the November ballot for mayor of the City of Minneapolis, despite what the DFL wants.”
Short has since taken legal action, filing a formal complaint in Hennepin County District Court against the Minnesota DFL, its Minneapolis chapter, Chair Conrad Lange Zbikowski (both individually and in his official capacity), and the DFL Building Fund, Inc. Her lawsuit outlines six causes of action, including racial discrimination under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, violation of civil rights under the Equal Protection Clause, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
According to the complaint, Short details systemic exclusion of BIPOC candidates, misuse of party infrastructure, and falsified public communications regarding DFL leadership. She alleges that speaking orders were manipulated in favor of Mayor Frey, delegate list tampering was widespread, and intimidation was used to suppress participation — particularly among Somali, Muslim, and Black Christian community members.
She seeks compensatory and punitive damages, a court injunction to prevent further discrimination, and a declaration of rights violations, among other remedies.
The Minnesota DFL declined a request to comment on the matter.
Jasmine McBride welcomes reader responses at jmcbride@spokesman-recorder.com.