DFL delegates at Sunday’s Senate District 38 convention deadlocked on an endorsement for state senator, with neither candidate securing enough support to win the party’s backing.
Incumbent Sen. Susan Pha and challenger Nehemiah Garley each fell short of the 60% threshold required for endorsement among the 184 credentialed delegates during the nearly six-hour convention Sunday afternoon at the gymnasium of Woodland Elementary School in Brooklyn Park.
Senate District 38, a heavily DFL-leaning district, includes all of Brooklyn Center and Osseo and about half of Brooklyn Park. It spans both the 3rd and 5th Congressional Districts.
Sunday’s gathering was a continuation of a March 7 convention that also failed to produce an endorsement after three rounds of voting and left party business unfinished. April 12 marked the final day the Minnesota DFL allows local organizing units such as Senate District 38 to hold conventions.
Delegates conducted one additional round of voting Sunday — the fourth overall — with Pha receiving 53% and Garley 47%. After it became clear a fifth round would not break the impasse, Pha moved for a no-endorsement outcome, which Garley seconded.
The convention was not without controversy.
Delegate Martino Nguyen, an immigrant from Vietnam, was accused by Pha’s campaign of supporting Republican positions, prompting an effort to remove him from the convention. Pha supporters said they had screenshots of Nguyen expressing views aligned with Republican talking points, and pointed to a social media video in which he criticized Pha’s reelection bid.
After review, the credentials committee confirmed Nguyen had participated in the February DFL caucus and recommended he be allowed to remain a delegate under party rules. However, delegates later approved a motion backed by Pha’s campaign to strip Nguyen of his voting privileges.
The primary election is Aug. 11.
Senate District 38 DFL Chair Hassanen Mohamed said he was not concerned by the lack of endorsement, emphasizing party unity in November.
“Both candidates have shown a strong commitment to our community,” Mohamed said. “Once voters decide in August, DFLers in the district will unite to ensure a win in November.”
Pha’s inability to secure the party endorsement is not unprecedented. In 2022, she also failed to win the endorsement for the open seat but went on to prevail in the primary.
Both candidates spent much of Sunday working the convention floor, speaking with delegates and clarifying procedures. Their outreach often reflected their bases of support: Pha focused largely on Asian and white delegates, while Garley engaged primarily with Black delegates, including African immigrants and African Americans.
Among the delegates was Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies Winston, a former chair of the Brooklyn Park DFL.
Garley, running for office for the first time, said he was encouraged by the outcome.
“I am sure you know the endorsement that really matters is the one that the DFL voters give,” Garley told Mshale. “I’m very confident that we are going to win the primary.”
Pha campaign co-chair Linda Freemon said the senator was grateful for her supporters and noted that Pha received a majority of votes in all four ballots across the two-part convention.
“She looks forward to winning DFL endorsement at the primary,” Freemon said in a statement.
While delegates did not reach consensus in the state Senate race, they did elect representatives to attend upcoming congressional district conventions.
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About Tom Gitaa, Editor-in-Chief
Born and raised in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, Tom is the Founder, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Mshale which has been reporting on the news and culture of African immigrants in the United States since 1995. He has a BA in Business from Metro State University and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He was the original host of Talking Drum, the signature current affairs show on the African Broadcasting Network (ABN-America), which was available nationwide in the United States via the Dish Network satellite service. On the show, he interviewed Nobel laureates such as 2004 Nobel Peace prize winner, Professor Wangari Maathai, the first woman from Africa to win the peace prize and heads of states. Tom has served and chaired various boards including Global Minnesota (formerly Minnesota International Center), the sixth largest World Affairs Council in the United States. He has previously served as the first Black President of the Board of Directors at Books for Africa. He also serves on the board of the Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium. He has previously served two terms on the board of the United Nations Association. An avid runner, he retired from running full marathons after turning 50 and now only focuses on training for half marathons.
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