Aisha Chughtai

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Aisha Siddida Chughtai
File:3.16.2025 - Aisha Chughtai Campaign Kickoff at Eat Street Crossing, Minneapolis (cropped).jpg
Chughtai in 2025
Vice President of the Minneapolis City Council
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 8, 2024
PresidentElliott Payne
Preceded byLinea Palmisano
Member of the
Minneapolis City Council
from Ward 10
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2022
Preceded byLisa Bender
Personal details
Born (1997-09-04) September 4, 1997 (age 28)
PartyDemocratic (DFL)
Other political
affiliations		Democratic Socialists of America
Residence(s)Whittier, Minneapolis
WebsiteCampaign website

Aisha Siddida Chughtai (born September 4, 1997)[1] is an American community organizer and politician serving as the vice president of the Minneapolis City Council, representing the 10th Ward. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she was elected in 2021 to succeed retiring Council President Lisa Bender. She is the youngest person, and first Muslim woman, elected to the Council.[2] She is a member of the Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).[3]

Early life and career

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Chughtai's parents are immigrants from Pakistan; her father worked as a mechanic and her mother as a Quranic instructor. She grew up in Houston, where her family experienced housing instability, and moved to Mankato, Minnesota during the 2008 financial crisis.[4][5]

Chughtai has worked on numerous political campaigns, including as campaign manager of U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar's 2018 campaign. She later worked as a political organizer for the SEIU Minnesota State Council.[1]

She was elected to city council in 2021. In 2022, Chughtai was serving on committees for Business, Inspections, Housing & Zoning and Public Works & Infrastructure committees.[6] In 2023 she was appointed Council Vice President alongside Council President Elliott Payne.[7] She also chairs the Budget Committee and serves on the Administration & Enterprise Oversight Committee.[8]

Views and initiatives

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She advocates for community control over the police, believing that democratizing control over the MPD would lead to more appropriate ward-by-ward safety solutions.[9]

She advocated for a 24-hour bus lane on Hennepin Avenue, which was ultimately vetoed by Mayor Jacob Frey.[6][10] she has also expressed that she believes that installing protected bike lanes is important to promoting public safety.[9]

Chughtai advocates for rent control tied to inflation, vacancy control, and stronger protections for renters.[11]

Chughtai prioritizes making the city more climate resilient and ecologically friendly by promoting infrastructure projects such as warming/cooling accommodations and public transportation.[11]

In December 2025, she advocated for a ban on robotaxis.[12]

Electoral history

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2025 Minneapolis City Council election

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Main article: 2025 Minneapolis City Council election

Chughtai won re-election in 2025, defeating challenger Lydia Millard, executive director of the Stevens Square Community Organization and Target corporate employee.[13]

The ward saw no DFL endorsement when Chughtai earned 52 percent of the vote to Millard’s 47 percent and delegates unanimously voted to end the convention early rather than hold further votes.[14] Chughtai alleges that she was assaulted during the convention by one of Millard's supporters.[14]

Chughtai was opposed in 2025 by We Love Minneapolis PAC, which received thirty thousand dollars from Hornig Properties, a corporate landlord in Ward 10, during their first quarter of operation.[15] We Love Minneapolis was a political action committee chaired by Andrea Corbin, who owns 10th Ward flower shop Flower Bar, created to promote challengers to DSA and DSA aligned candidates. Jim Rubin, owner of Mint Properties,[16] another prominent Ward 10 landlord, was identified as a leader of the PAC.[17] Following the disbanding of We Love Minneapolis, Thrive MPLS was formed, with an overlap in staff, and began supporting her competitor.[18] Chughtai is also opposed by All of Minneapolis PAC, a PAC promoting conservative democrats in Minneapolis.[19]

Political organizations supporting Chughtai included Minneapolis for the Many PAC, Women Winning, Outfront Action, Sunrise Twin Cities, and the Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America.[19] She had labor endorsements from the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO; Service Employees International Union (SEIU); Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA!); and UniteHere Local 17.[19] Politicians endorsing her included Ilhan Omar, State Representatives Katie Jones and Aisha Gomez, State Senator Omar Fateh, Hennepin County Board Chair Irene Fernando, Minneapolis School Board Director Greta Callahan, and Minneapolis Parks Commissioner Tom Olson.

2023 Minneapolis City Council election

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Main article: 2023 Minneapolis City Council election

On November 7, 2023, Chughtai was reelected to a second term with 60.7% of the first-round vote.[20] The DFL endorsed her for reelection in a virtual vote after violence at the Ward 10 DFL convention forced early adjournment.[21] Her challenger, Nasri Warsame, supporter's had stormed the stage and assaulted Chugtai's staff and supporters.[22]

2021 Minneapolis City Council election

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Main article: 2021 Minneapolis City Council election

In 2021, Chughtai announced her candidacy for retiring Council President Lisa Bender's Ward 10 seat. Her campaign focused on expanding affordable housing and strengthening local labor laws.[4] The DFL did not issue an endorsement in the ward, as no candidate achieved the necessary vote threshold.[23] She was endorsed by the abortion rights organization #VOTEPROCHOICE.[24]

Chughtai won the instant-runoff election on November 3 with 50.3% of the vote to her nearest challenger's 33.6%.[25][26] She took office on January 3, 2022, becoming the first Asian American, Muslim woman, and youngest member of the Council.[27] She took the oath of office on a ceremonial Quran also used by Ilhan Omar, Keith Ellison, Omar Fateh, and numerous other Muslim officials elected in Minneapolis.[28]

Personal life

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Chughtai strongly identifies as renter and lives in Minneapolis's Whittier neighborhood, including the fact on her campaign materials.[6][9][11] She believes that this better prepares her to connect with constituents in her ward, in which 80% of residents rent.[9]

References

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