Minneapolis DFL scrambles to reschedule Sixth Ward endorsing convention

The Minneapolis DFL is scrambling to set a new date for the Sixth Ward City Council endorsing convention, after arrangements with St. Mary's University fell through.

The convention was supposed to be Saturday, May 6, but now local party officials must find a new venue after St. Mary's decided against hosting the convention at the St. Mary's University Center at 26th Street and Park Avenue S.

"Staff have been in ongoing conversations with the Minneapolis DFL leadership this spring and it was determined jointly that based on the requested set-up and projected attendance our venue was insufficient from a size and safety perspective for the upcoming event," the university said in a statement.

Minneapolis DFL Chairman Dan McConnell, in an e-mail to party officials Tuesday, floated May 21 as the new date for the event, but plans haven't been finalized. The venue would be Willey Hall on the West Bank campus of the University of Minnesota.

The DFL endorsement process in the Sixth Ward, which comprises parts of near-south Minneapolis, has been deeply contentious, with Council Member Abdi Warsame facing challenges from Mohamud Noor and Tiffini Flynn Forslund.

Warsame appears to have turned out the most support at the April 4 caucus, where delegates to the convention were chosen.

The caucus was the most heavily attended in the city, with about 800 people showing up, about half of them at the Brian Coyle Community Center in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.

Noor and Flynn Forslund asked that the caucus results be thrown out, complaining the event was confusing and wasn't carried out properly.

The Minneapolis DFL decided to investigate but declined to prevent the elected delegates from being seated at the convention. Delegates at the convention will decide what to do with the challenges.

Adam Belz • 612-673-4405 Twitter: @adambelz