Jacob Frey
Jacob Lawrence Frey (/fraɪ/ FRY;[1] born July 23, 1981) is an American politician and attorney who has served as the mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota since 2018. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, he served on the Minneapolis City Council from 2014 to 2018.
For other people named Jacob Frey, see Jacob Frey (disambiguation).
Jacob Frey
Diane Hofstede
Steve Fletcher
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Born and raised in Virginia, Frey attended the College of William & Mary on a track and field scholarship. Graduating with a degree in government, he went on to attend law school at Villanova University. While at Villanova, Frey became a professional distance runner. Competing in marathons across the country, he was a member of Team USA at the 2007 Pan American Games.
After law school, Frey moved to Minneapolis to work as an employment discrimination and civil rights lawyer. Before entering politics, he was also a community organizer. Frey was elected to the Minneapolis City Council in 2013, representing Ward 3. Serving only one term, he ran for mayor in 2017, defeating incumbent Betsy Hodges.[2][3] He was reelected in 2021.[4]
Career[edit]
Early career[edit]
Frey moved to Minneapolis in 2009 after graduating from law school and joined the law firm Faegre & Benson (now Faegre Drinker) to practice employment discrimination and civil rights law before moving on to the law firm Halunen & Associates.[18][13][19][20]
Frey has been active in community causes since moving to Minneapolis. After a tornado struck North Minneapolis in 2011, Frey provided legal services to tenants who lost their homes. In late 2011, Frey ran in a special election for an open state senate seat and came in fifth in the party primary. The only candidate he finished ahead of had dropped out of the race before election day.[21]
In 2012, Frey founded and organized the first Big Gay Race, a 5K charity race to raise money for Minnesotans United for All Families, a political group organizing for marriage equality.[22]
Minneapolis City Council[edit]
Frey ran in the 2013 Minneapolis City Council election to represent Ward 3. He received the Democratic–Farmer–Labor endorsement, as well as endorsements from more than 40 elected officials and organizations.[23] Frey's platform promised better constituent services,[23] to spur residential development,[23] increase the number and variety of small and local businesses, and push for full funding of affordable housing and address climate change. He defeated incumbent Diane Hofstede with more than 60% of the vote and took office on January 2, 2014.
Personal life[edit]
Jacob Frey married his first wife, Michelle Lilienthal, in 2009.[64][65] They divorced in early 2014.[66]
Frey met his second wife, Sarah Clarke, through community organizing in Minneapolis. The couple married in July 2016. Clarke is a lobbyist for Hylden Advocacy & Law, where she represents several business, nonprofits, and community organizations at the Minnesota legislature and executive branch agencies.[67] In March 2020, the couple announced they were expecting their first child in September.[68] Their daughter Frida Jade Frey was born at 5:22 pm on September 16, 2020, weighing 7 pounds and 10 ounces.[69][70] In a joint statement, both Frey and Clarke expressed joy in the fact that Frida was born shortly before the Jewish new year holiday of Rosh Hashanah, stating "For us, her birth leading into Rosh Hashanah symbolizes new beginnings and hope in the midst of tough days."[69][70] The day after Frida's birth, Frey started taking a brief leave of absence from the normal Mayor's office, but would continue to handle day-to-day mayoral duties from his home.[69][70]
Frey is a Reform Jew and attends a Reform synagogue in Minneapolis, Temple Israel, together with his wife, who converted to Judaism.[71]