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Curtis Gilbert
ST. PAUL, Minn.

Lilligren wants DFL to rescind opponent's endorsement

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Minneapolis City Councilmember Robert Lilligren is asking the DFL Party to rescind its endorsement of his challenger.

The Minneapolis DFL last month endorsed Abdi Warsame to run for Lilligren's seat on the city council. But Lilligren said the endorsement process and the precinct caucuses that preceded it were flawed.

"There was a lot of chaos, a lack of control by the party officials," Lilligren said. "My opponent's campaign in many places were actually controlling the caucus."

Warsame said he won the endorsement because of his superior grassroots organization.

"We won because we campaigned hard. We campaigned fairly," Warsame said. "We had a message, an inclusive message, a message of hope that galvanized the community and brought people out to the caucuses, and many for the first time."

The state DFL Party said challenges like Lilligren's are fairly routine, but rarely succeed in overturning an endorsement. A party committee will consider the challenge this summer.

Lilligren has served on the city council for nearly 12 years. He is one of four incumbent DFLers on the Minneapolis City Council who have lost party endorsement this year.