# Minneapolis mayor *Chief executive officer of the City of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the city's political and ceremonial leader.* The mayor of [[Minneapolis]] heads the executive of the [[City of Minneapolis]], [[Minnesota]]. The mayor administers the city government and speaks for the city at the state, national and international level, from an office in Minneapolis City Hall.[^1] Mayors are elected to four-year terms, with no term limit. The mayor may approve or veto ordinances passed by the Minneapolis City Council.[^1] The most recent mayoral election was held on [[November 4, 2025]], and Jacob Frey won a third term.[^1][^2][^3] The next election is scheduled for November 6, 2029.[^1] The office appears in the federal [[Feeding Our Future]] prosecutions through a former staff member. Abdi Nur Salah is identified by the U.S. Attorney's Office as a former senior aide to Mayor Jacob Frey. He pleaded guilty on January 28, 2025, as co-defendant with a co-owner of [[Safari Restaurant]] in Minneapolis, who also pleaded guilty that day. The release states that Safari Restaurant "received more than $16 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds".[^4] The prosecutions were brought by the United States Attorney in the [[United States District Court for the District of Minnesota]].[^5] The cited releases record the aide's former position. They do not establish any role of the mayor's office in the conduct charged.[^4][^5] ## Who Since the city's incorporation, the mayoralty has been held by members of five parties: the Republican, Democratic, Democratic-Farmer-Labor, Farmer-Labor and Socialist parties. Unaffiliated mayors have also held the office.[^1] Past holders include A. A. "Doc" Ames, who served multiple terms; [[Hubert Humphrey]], who went on to become [[Vice President of the United States]]; and Sharon Sayles Belton.[^1] Arthur Naftalin was mayor from 1961 to 1969, and his final term ended in 1969.[^6] Jacob Frey won his third term in November 2025, according to reports by MPR News and Sahan Journal.[^2][^3] In the federal prosecutions, the U.S. Attorney's Office identifies Abdi Nur Salah as a former senior aide to Mayor Frey. He pleaded guilty on January 28, 2025.[^4] [[Aimee Bock]] was sentenced to 500 months on May 22, 2026. The Justice Department's release on her sentencing quotes [[Judge Nancy Brasel]]: "This was a fraud vortex and you were at the epicenter of it."[^5] ## What As the city's chief executive, the mayor enforces municipal law and directs and coordinates the city's departments. The mayor also prepares and presents the city budget at the end of each fiscal year.[^1] The Mayor's Office consists of the mayor and a staff. Its portfolio covers information technology, neighborhood and community relations, public safety, public works, racial inclusion and climate.[^1] The Justice Department describes Feeding Our Future as "a nonprofit organization that was a sponsor participating in the Federal Child Nutrition Program".[^5] Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis was the largest single identified site in the matter.[^4] ## When Mayors served one-year terms from 1867 to 1878 and two-year terms from 1878. The four-year term took effect in January 1982. Wikipedia attributes that change to giving mayors more time to carry out their programs.[^1] A newly elected mayor takes office in the January following the municipal election.[^1] - January 28, 2025: the former mayoral aide and the Safari Restaurant co-owner both plead guilty.[^4] - September 4, 2025: the U.S. Attorney's Office announces the 75th defendant charged in the Feeding Our Future matter.[^8] - November 4, 2025: Minneapolis mayoral election; Frey wins a third term.[^1][^2] - May 22, 2026: Aimee Bock is sentenced to 500 months.[^5] - August 19, 2026: Sahan Journal's guilty-plea tracker counts 68 convictions.[^10] ## Where The mayor's office is in Minneapolis City Hall.[^1] St. Anthony was a separate city until it was incorporated into Minneapolis in 1872, and it had 13 mayors between 1855 and 1872.[^1] Safari Restaurant was in Minneapolis, in Hennepin County.[^4] The Feeding Our Future cases were prosecuted in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.[^5] ## How The Justice Department states that Feeding Our Future "submitted these fraudulent claims to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)". The department says the funds were then disbursed to co-conspirators through "more than 250 Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout the state of Minnesota".[^5] The Justice Department uses the umbrella term "Federal Child Nutrition Program".[^5] The [[Office of the Legislative Auditor (Minnesota)]] identifies the two programs at issue as the [[Child and Adult Care Food Program]] and the [[Summer Food Service Program]].[^7] It states: "The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is responsible for administering these programs in Minnesota". The Auditor found that the [[Minnesota Department of Education]] "failed to act on warning signs known to the department prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic".[^7] ## How much According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Safari Restaurant received more than $16 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.[^4] ## How many The U.S. Attorney's Office counted 75 defendants charged as of September 4, 2025.[^8] Sahan Journal's charging tracker, updated July 28, 2026, states that "Eighty people have been charged". Totals of 70, 75, 79 and 80 appear across sources.[^9][^8] As of August 19, 2026, Sahan Journal's guilty-plea tracker counted 68 convictions, made up of 61 guilty pleas and 7 jury convictions.[^10] ## In the at-issue record [[At issue 007 - The largest single identified Feeding Our Future site]] (Hennepin package) places two dated facts side by side. The first is that Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, which received more than $16 million, was the largest single identified Feeding Our Future site. The second is that its co-owner and a former senior aide to the Minneapolis mayor both pleaded guilty on January 28, 2025.[^4] The item is anchored to the White House presidential action *Establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud* (March 2026).[^11] The record shows that the former aide and the co-owner were co-defendants and entered their pleas on the same day.[^4] It does not establish any connection between the mayor's office and the conduct charged.[^4][^5] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Mayor of Minneapolis* (revision 1378815815, retrieved Oct. 27, 2026) — office, role, term history, party history, St. Anthony, 2025 and 2029 election dates. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor_of_Minneapolis [^2]: MPR News, report on the 2025 Minneapolis mayoral election (Nov. 5, 2025) — Frey wins third term as Minneapolis mayor. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/11/05/jacob-frey-wins-minneapolis-mayor-election [^3]: Sahan Journal, report on the 2025 Minneapolis mayoral election — Frey reelected Minneapolis mayor. https://sahanjournal.com/democracy-politics/jacob-frey-wins-reelection-minneapolis-mayor-omar-fateh/ [^4]: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota, *Former Minneapolis Mayoral Aide and Safari Restaurant Co-Owner Both Plead Guilty* (Jan. 28, 2025) — Safari Restaurant "received more than $16 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds"; co-defendant Abdi Nur Salah was a former senior aide to Mayor Jacob Frey; both pleaded guilty. https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/former-minneapolis-mayoral-aide-and-safari-restaurant-co-owner-both-plead-guilty-250 [^5]: U.S. Department of Justice, *Feeding Our Future Ringleader Sentenced to 500 Months* (May 22, 2026) — federal prosecution in the District of Minnesota; Bock's 500-month sentence; claims submitted to MDE; "more than 250 Federal Child Nutrition Program sites"; Judge Nancy Brasel quotation. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/feeding-our-future-ringleader-sentenced-500-months [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *Arthur Naftalin* — mayor of Minneapolis 1961–1969. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Naftalin [^7]: Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor, *Minnesota Department of Education: Oversight of Feeding Our Future*, Special Review (June 2024) — CACFP and SFSP administered by MDE; MDE "failed to act on warning signs". https://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/sreview/pdf/2024-mdefof.pdf [^8]: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota, release announcing the 75th defendant charged in the Feeding Our Future matter (Sept. 4, 2025) — 75 defendants charged as of that date. https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/75th-defendant-charged-feeding-our-future-fraud-scheme [^9]: Sahan Journal, Feeding Our Future charging tracker (updated July 28, 2026) — "Eighty people have been charged." https://sahanjournal.com/news/feeding-our-future-indictments-who-charged-food-fraud-minnesota/ [^10]: Sahan Journal, Feeding Our Future guilty-plea tracker (Aug. 19, 2026) — 68 convictions: 61 guilty pleas and 7 jury convictions. https://sahanjournal.com/public-safety/feeding-our-future-food-aid-fraud-investigation-guilty-pleas/ [^11]: The White House, *Establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud* (March 2026) — presidential action cited as the anchor for at-issue item 007. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/establishing-the-task-force-to-eliminate-fraud/