Nasri Warsame addresses DFL endorsement ban, confirms still running for Minneapolis City Council

Emily Baude KSTP

Candidate banned from seeking DFL endorsement speaks out

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Nasri Warsame, the Minneapolis City Council candidate for Ward 10, held a press conference Thursday to respond to the decision to ban him from ever seeking a DFL endorsement and announce his intent to still run for City Council.

The ban came after Minneapolis police were called to the Ward 10 endorsement convention on May 13 as a fight broke out and escalated into “chaos.” The DFL co-sergeant at arms volunteer who was at the convention, Quentin Wathum-Ocama, said it happened when incumbent City Council Member Aisha Chughtai was about to address the crowd on stage, but supporters of challenger Nasri Warsame took the stage instead.

On Thursday afternoon, Warsame condemned the incident “in the strongest terms,” apologizing to anyone affected by the events.

However, he added that the DFL endorsement process is biased and undemocratic, while condemning the way the DFL has handled the aftermath of the incident by placing responsibility squarely on him.

“What troubles me even more is the fact they made this decision without even engaging in a dialogue with me or my campaign or a representative for the Somali community, such as Somali delegates, elders and Imams from the Ward 10 area,” said Warsame.

Following the incident at the convention, one person was brought to the hospital for a non-life-threatening medical condition and another was treated on scene for non-life-threatening injuries.

Warsame says the two people who landed in the hospital due to the melee were his campaign manager, Abshir Omar, and a delegate. He added that the DFL ignored that fact and unjustly banned him from seeking endorsement.

Warsame then called out the Chairmen of the DFL Party, Ken Martin, for “using derogatory terms in his remarks and statements,” adding that Martin lied about Warsame and the Somali community.

Warsame is still running for City Council and made a promise he would “emerge victorious” from November’s elections.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reached out to the DFL party for comment Thursday.