MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis voters not only rejected a proposal that would have eliminated the police department, but city residents also bounced five councilmembers from office who supported the failed ballot measure after many were locked in tight races.
LaTrisha Vetaw defeated Ward 4 incumbent Phillipe Cunningham and Emily Koski will replace Ward 11 Councilmember Jeremy Schroeder.
Vetaw is a member of the city’s Park and Recreation Board. In a message to voters, she said more police officers were needed to address violent crime in the city and increase response times, Fox News reported. Although she favors police reform, she also noted that police aren’t trained to handle every potential situation and that social workers should not respond to potentially dangerous situations.
Elsewhere, councilmembers Cam Gordon, Steve Fletcher, and Kevin Reich were all defeated in the city’s ranked-choice ballot system, according to unofficial results reported by KMSP-TV.
Meanwhile, incumbents Jeremiah Ellison, Jamal Osman, Lisa Goodman, Andrea Jenkins, Andrew Johnson and Linea Palmisano were re-elected.
Jenkins, Goodman, Reich and Palmisano all opposed the public safety proposal to eliminate the police department.
