Minnesota Democratic Governor nominee?
$446.5K
AUG 12, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleAttorney General
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyProgressive Democrat
Age62 years old (Aug 4, 1963)
GenderMale
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LocationMinnesota
BackgroundAttorney
EducationUniversity of Minnesota Law School (J.D., 1990)
Notable personal detailsKeith Maurice Ellison is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the 30th Attorney General of Minnesota since January 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 before that. He earned his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1990 and worked as a civil-rights and criminal-defense attorney, including as executive director of the Legal Rights Center.
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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.
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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 scrutiny over Minnesota’s welfare fraud scandal and is set to testify before the House Oversight Committee alongside Gov. Tim Walz about the alleged cover-up. He is also named in impeachment articles filed by the Minnesota Freedom Caucus over claims that state leaders ignored or concealed fraud in social services funds. At the same time, Ellison is leading Minnesota’s lawsuit against the Trump administration to block $243 million in Medicaid cuts, saying the state is fighting to protect healthcare funding and combat fraud.
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
Keith Ellison won’t run for governor, will seek reelection as attorney general
DOJ subpoenas Walz, Ellison, Frey, Minnesota officials in probe alleging immigration obstruction, sources say
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
- Endorsements
- Fundraising