Minnesota Democratic Governor nominee?
$482.5K
AUG 12, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleAttorney General
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyProgressive Democrat
Age62 years old (Aug 4, 1963)
GenderMale
Show moreShow less
LocationMinnesota
BackgroundAttorney
EducationB.A., Wayne State University (1986)
Notable personal detailsKeith Maurice Ellison is a Minnesota politician and attorney who has served as Minnesota Attorney General since 2019. He previously represented Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019 and served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003 to 2006. He earned a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School and worked for years as a civil-rights and defense attorney, including as executive director of the Legal Rights Center. He is the father of four adult children: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah, and Amirah.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports protecting public funding and government spending for services (schools, consumer protections) and criticizes tax breaks for billionaires and tariffs that shift costs to consumers. Uses litigation and enforcement against corporations and federal actions that he views as undermining state revenues and public programs.
Healthcare
Supports major public expansions of health coverage, including a public plan/Medicare-modeled option and has previously advocated for single-payer approaches; as Attorney General has prioritized healthcare affordability and defended access to services such as gender-affirming care and insulin affordability.
Show moreShow less
Immigration & Border
As Minnesota Attorney General, Keith Ellison has challenged aggressive federal immigration enforcement actions in court, sought to limit local cooperation with ICE, and criticized large deployments of DHS/ICE agents as unconstitutional and harmful to communities. His actions emphasize protecting civil liberties and constraining federal enforcement operations within the state.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Supports protecting and expanding access to abortion and reproductive healthcare, has pledged not to prosecute people who obtain or help obtain abortions that are legal in Minnesota and to oppose extradition requests related to such care, and has urged enshrining the right to abortion in state law and the state constitution.
Climate & Energy
Keith Ellison, as Minnesota Attorney General, has brought legal actions defending federal climate protections, sued fossil fuel companies for deceptive practices, and sued to preserve federal support for wind energy and electric vehicle infrastructure while advancing environmental‑justice guidance. His actions support emissions‑reducing policies, clean energy deployment, and enforcement of climate‑related regulatory authority.
Public Safety & Guns
Keith Ellison supports significant gun safety measures including a national ban on assault-style rifles, expanded background checks for private sales, and legal/regulatory action to curb illegal gun trafficking and negligent gun sales. As Minnesota Attorney General he has joined multistate actions supporting ATF rules to require background checks for private sellers and has pursued litigation related to gun trafficking and negligent firearm sales.
News
Keith Ellison is facing renewed political pressure in Minnesota, including impeachment articles filed by the Freedom Caucus over alleged fraud cover-ups and a House Oversight hearing tied to welfare fraud allegations. He is also leading a lawsuit against the Trump administration over $243 million in Medicaid funding the state says should not be withheld. More recently, Ellison was protested at a Minneapolis rally for Peggy Flanagan’s Senate campaign over his decision to pause the state Conviction Review Unit because of budget constraints.
Clinched endorsements don’t resolve intraparty divides in ke...
Klobuchar endorsed for Governor at State DFL convention, GOP endorses Schwarze for US Senate
WATCH LIVE: MN Gov Tim Walz and AG Kieth Ellison Testify in House Oversight Committee Probe - 9 AM ET
Minnesota Freedom Caucus Files Articles of Impeachment Against Far-Leftists Keith Ellison and Tim Walz
Endorsements
Endorsers of Keith Ellison for Minnesota Democratic Governor nominee?
SEIU Minnesota State Council
Elected official
SEIU Minnesota State Council endorsed Keith Ellison for attorney general.
Minnesota DFL Party
Elected official
Minnesota DFL Party endorsed Keith Ellison for attorney general by acclamation in 2026.
Education Minnesota
Elected official
Education Minnesota endorsed Keith Ellison for attorney general in 2026.
Cedrick Frazier
Elected official
Cedrick Frazier endorsed Keith Ellison for attorney general.
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
- Fundraising