The Minneapolis DFL will next month vote on a new date for the citywide convention, one that won't conflict with Ramadan or the Twin Cities Pride Festival.

Dan McConnell, chair of the Minneapolis DFL, said Tuesday that July 8 will be the new date for the convention, where the DFL will try to endorse a candidate for mayor. McConnell said he's checked with many of the candidates and nobody objects.

The original date, June 24, was the second-to-last day of Ramadan and the Saturday of Twin Cities Pride, and mayoral candidates Betsy Hodges and Raymond Dehn signed a letter two weeks ago asking that the event be moved to make it more inviting to Muslims and the LGBTQ community.

"We urge the committee to consider changing the date of [the] Minneapolis DFL City Convention to allow more members of our communities to partake in their local government," the letter said, adding that the date of the convention runs counter to the DFL's "values of inclusion and advancement for all members of our diverse communities."

The next day, mayoral candidates Jacob Frey and Nekima Levy-Pounds said they would be happy to see the convention date moved.

McConnell said the matter will be voted on by the DFL central committee March 9. The event, which can last most of the day and has been contentious in past election years, is slated to be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

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