MINNEAPOLIS — Keith Ellison will seek a third term as Minnesota attorney general, pledging to address inequalities and continue combating the Trump administration in court.

Ellison said he feels there’s a “powerful urgency to this moment” in politics, citing the excitement he has seen at public engagements, including nationwide “No Kings” rallies last weekend.

“This inequality is staggering in proportions and is tearing the fabric of the country apart,” Ellison said in an interview with the Minnesota Star Tribune about his reelection campaign. “It has cultural, social, political implications.”

Ellison, a Democrat, was first elected attorney general in 2018 after six terms in Congress and three in the state House. His entry gives shape to the race for attorney general and all but guarantees a clear field in the Democratic primary.

Ellison narrowly won reelection in 2022 against GOP challenger Jim Schultz. While Gov. Tim Walz won with 52.3%, Ellison received 50.4%. Republicans are gearing up to target the race again, hammering Ellison on fraud in state government programs and crime.

“Under Keith Ellison’s watch, violent crime has surged, billions in taxpayer money have been lost and once-vibrant cities are becoming ghost towns,” said Ron Schutz, a Republican attorney who has announced he’s running for attorney general next fall.

So far, Schutz, a partner at Robins Kaplan LLP, is the only Republican in the race, but others will likely jump in now that Ellison is running for a third term.

Ellison said he always puts 100% of his energy into his races. Even while representing a reliably blue Minneapolis district in Congress, he said he worked to improve turnout among Democratic voters.

“We’ve never been like, ‘We’ve got an easy race, so we’re going to chill,’ or ‘We’ve got a hard race, so we’re going to work,’” Ellison said. “We just work no matter what.”

As attorney general, Ellison said, he sees the role of the office to “rebalance the scales.” In his time in the office, the state has sued negligent landlords, egg producers accused of price gouging and employers engaging in wage theft.

Ellison also cited a lawsuit from his office against Juul for marketing vapes to children, as well as settlements with pharmaceutical companies that require them to sell insulin to Minnesotans for no more than $35 per month for several years.

“From day one, I’ve been telling all of my staff that we’re here to help people afford their lives and live with dignity, safety and respect,” Ellison said.

Schutz and fellow Republicans in Minnesota are already centering fraud in state programs as they begin their 2026 campaigns, blaming Democrats for the theft of taxpayer funds. The state is grappling with overwhelming Medicaid fraud and has shut off payments to providers in several services meant to help those with disabilities.

So far, eight people have been indicted on charges of defrauding a program meant to help vulnerable people find stable housing. One has been indicted over fraud in another program that provides services to those under 21 with autism spectrum disorder.

Ellison pushed back Schutz’s characterization on fraud, saying his office has prosecuted hundreds of Medicaid fraudsters and recovered millions in stolen funds. Staffers in Ellison’s office worked with federal authorities to investigate several providers who have since been indicted on fraud charges.

He also asked lawmakers for more money to fund a Medicaid fraud control unit, which didn’t pass through the divided Legislature.

“They want an issue to run on,” Ellison said, “and we’re trying to resolve the issue, which is why we advanced bills to actually give us more tools to prosecute Medicaid fraud.”

This year, Ellison has focused significant efforts to combat the Trump administration in court. He has joined with other Democratic attorneys general on dozens of cases challenging Trump’s efforts to halt federal funds, impose tariffs, revoke birthright citizenship and impose additional requirements for Americans to vote.

“We’re in court fighting that, but somebody else might do the opposite,” Ellison said.

The Democrat said he’s prepared to go to court against the Trump administration if the president attempts to deploy the National Guard to the Twin Cities the way it has in Chicago and Portland, Oregon.

Ellison said Schutz and any other Republican who enters the race for attorney general are “cookie cut-outs” who are going to “carry the Trump agenda.”

Ellison said his message to the voters is that “the people’s lawyer is going to be fighting for you, the people.”

“People should have an attorney general who’s going to fight for you in this economy, for your safety,” Ellison said, “and, sometimes, against the federal government.”

_____

©2025 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC