Senate District 60 candidate Mohamed Jama’s residency is being challenged. Campaign photo.
Mohamed Jama, one of eight Democratic candidates running in a special state Senate election, dropped out on Wednesday after facing a legal challenge to his candidacy alleging he doesn’t live in the district.
“This decision was not made lightly, and I want to express my deepest gratitude to the Cedar Riverside community, which raised me and entrusted me with the responsibility of stepping up to represent our shared values and aspirations,” Jama wrote in a statement posted to Facebook.
Jama’s statement did not address his residency and he did not return a voicemail seeking comment.
The special election was called to replace former Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic, who died of cancer last month, for Senate District 60, which covers northeast Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota and the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.
Under state law, legislative candidates must have lived in their district for at least six months before the election. But Jama used same-day registration to vote in November’s election in a neighboring senate district, according to the legal challenge filed with the Minnesota Supreme Court.
The challenge says a Senate DFL caucus representative reached out to Jama’s campaign manager, Jacob Hooper, on Jan. 2 to confirm that he met the residency requirement. Hooper replied via text message that Jama has lived in Senate District 60 for six months but is not registered to vote there.
“He did vote in 2024 but used old address because this was during process of moving,” Hooper wrote, according to the challenge.
That explanation raises the prospect that Jama illegally voted where he doesn’t live.
The deadline to officially withdraw from the race has long passed, and ballots have already been printed for the special primary scheduled for Jan. 14, according to the Hennepin County elections office. Absentee voting starts on Thursday.
A spokeswoman for the county elections office said they will follow whatever instructions they receive from the state Supreme Court on Jama’s eligibility.
Democrats are also dealing with the fallout from another one of their candidates not meeting the state’s residency requirements, which could cost them control of the House.
After a judge ruled Democrat Curtis Johnson was ineligible to represent district 40B because he doesn’t live there, Republicans found themselves with a one-seat advantage pending a special election.
The special election in Democratic-leaning Roseville is expected to return the balance of power to 67-67, but Republicans say they intend to use their temporary advantage to try to win a true majority.
Republican House Leader Lisa Demuth strongly signaled they will refuse to seat Rep. Brad Tabke, DFL-Shakopee, whose narrow 14-vote victory was marred by 20 ballots going missing, even if a judge rules in his favor. That could force Gov. Tim Walz to call a special election in that district, giving Republicans another shot at majority for the next two years.
Johnson’s case may have motivated Democrats to more closely vet Jama and the other candidates in the special Senate election. The party can’t stop people from filing to run for office, but it can make sure only eligible candidates receive the party’s endorsement and nomination in the primary.
The challenge to Jama’s candidacy was filed by Sonia Neculescu, a former DFL House candidate and political operative who lives in the district.
The Supreme Court scheduled a hearing in Jama’s case for Friday.