Omar Fateh steadied himself before the camera and flashed a smile between heavy blinks, the weight of a nearly sleepless night tugging at his eyelids. This interview — first slated for the week prior — had been rescheduled in the wake of a major life change. The two-term Minnesota state senator and his wife welcomed a new baby, a son they named Imran, in early August.

“I pulled almost an all-nighter last night, so he’s been keeping us up,” he said, exhaling a light chuckle. He also has plenty of other reasons to be tired.

The 35-year-old is running for mayor of Minneapolis, one half of the Twin Cities he’s called home for 10 years. He’s the leading candidate facing off against two-term incumbent mayor Jacob Frey, who has the backing of the Democratic establishment and its donors. Oh, and

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