Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey will be inaugurated for his third term on Monday, January 5, at the Pantages Theatre in downtown Minneapolis. Frey, who is serving as the city’s 48th mayor, continues to hold significant authority following changes to the city charter approved by voters in 2021. These changes shifted power from the City Council to the mayor, creating what has been described as a “strong mayor” system.
Under this new structure, Frey has consolidated control over daily city operations through top administrative officers who report directly to him. Before becoming mayor, Frey served one term as a Ward 3 City Council member.
During his tenure as mayor, Frey has faced several challenges. He overcame multiple political opponents from the left and most recently defeated democratic socialist state Senator Omar Fateh in November’s election. His first two terms included managing crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on downtown Minneapolis, fallout from George Floyd’s murder by a police officer—which led to reduced police staffing—and ongoing issues related to homelessness driven by the opioid crisis.
Despite some progress since 2020, many of these challenges remain unresolved. For instance, Minneapolis is currently in its third year under a state consent decree that mandates police reforms expected to take years to complete.
Frey was raised in Virginia and worked as a professional runner and lawyer before entering public office.
