The more experienced precinct caucuses and endorsement convention goers of an incumbent, Aisha Chughtai mistreated newcomers supporting Nasri Warsame for the Minneapolis Ward 10 City Council. Many of Warsame’s supporters attended causes and endorsement conventions for the first time.
An intense response to a convention rule rigging led to agronomy. The endorsement proceedings stopped after an alleged assault.
Abshir Omar, the campaign manager for Warsame, was allegedly assaulted by Jeremiah Ellison. Omar was briefly hospitalized but later released. Omar filed Minneapolis police report number 23-121067 about the incident.
Ellison is a sitting member of the Minneapolis City Council and the son of State Attorney General Keith Ellison. Council member Ellison endorsed the incumbent Aisha Chughtai, for Ward 10.
The chaos in the endorsement convention was exacerbated by Ken Martin, Chairman of the Democratic Farmer Labor(DFL), who hastily issued a statement and menacing tweets banning specific individuals from the party. Martin’s statement squarely blamed Warsame’s campaign.
According to Omar, Ken never spoke with any of Warsame’s supporters or investigated the incident adequately. The statement reinforced Warsame supporters’ belief that this is all insider politics to keep newcomers out of the DFL.
Insider partisan politics and the rigging of the endorsement convention process typically start with the Credentials Committee. The Credentials Committee has been the linchpin in denying black people from participating in partisan politics.
On August 22, 1962, Fannie Lou Hammer, a black sharecropper, took her case to the Credentials Committee for the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She was challenging the refusal of the Mississippi State Democratic Party to seat black delegates. She gave arguably the most passionate argument against political injustice with an iconic voice that boomed like hip-hop lyrics from a boombox.
Warsame supporters faced similar discrimination. The Nurse who registered in her first precinct caucus but was denied credentials to be seated is marching on her own way 61 years later after Ms. Hammer did.
The credentials committee at the Minneapolis Ward 10 convention consisted of all white persons, as the one Ms. Hammer addressed. This is despite efforts by Warsame’s campaign to diversify the committee with supporters. The request was denied.
The only difference between Ms. Hammer’s experience and that of Minneapolis Nurse is that today’s all-white credentials committee is choosing between two persons of color but opting for the insider one that has already become an integral part of the white power structure.
The rigging at Minneapolis Ward 10 for the endorsement convention started at the precinct causes night. Chughtai’s campaign needed to produce more candidates for delegates. Unfortunately, rules were bent, and Chughtai’s campaign was allowed an additional 24 hours to recruit delegates.
More Warsame supporters became delegates on precinct causes night despite the unfair extension. Many of the delegates showed up at the convention. Some were disqualified and some were locked out.
Warsame supporters waited at the main entrance door for hours. Warsame supporters found Chugtai supporters already credentialed and seated in the voting hall. The conclusion was that they were led through another door than the one agreed upon during the arrangement walk-through. This manipulation resulted in more of Chughtai’s supporters being seated as delegates.
One of the most contentious rules proposed was to excuse the alternates. Chughtai supporters voted against the motion. The motion failed since Chughtai supporters had more delegates seated.
The Warsame campaign attempted to replace diabetic delegates who had to leave to get their daily insulin. However, the credential committee refused to upgrade Warsame alternates.
The refusal to upgrade alternate led to a shouting match. The provided reason was that Credential Committee had no more batches. The dispute triggered chaos.
The overall turn of events clearly demonstrates insider politics mired the Minneapolis Ward 10 endorsement convention. The incumbent Chughtai orchestrated the scheme. The maneuvering resulted in the discrimination of newcomers to the DFL. The only documented alleged assault victim is the Warsame campaign manager. Chairman Ken Martin’s hastily issued statements and threatening tweets of banning party members added an insult to an injury.
About the Author:
Jamal Abdulahi is a technology entrepreneur, writer, and long-time civic leader. He Tweets @fuguni
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