Keith Ellison wins re-election in Minnesota attorney general’s race

• Outside groups aligned with the GOP spent heavily to attack Ellison on crime and his support of a failed 2021 ballot measure to dismantle and rebuild the Minneapolis Police Department.

Catch up quick: Ellison became a leader in the progressive movement during his six terms representing Minneapolis in Congress. He defeated Republican Doug Wardlow by about four percentage points to win the attorney general race in 2018.

• During his first term, Ellison tackled issues such as climate change and the opioid crisis. His enforcement actions against businesses that violated the state’s pandemic shutdown orders drew ire from conservatives.
• He made national headlines for leading the successful state criminal prosecution of former Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murder in the death of George Floyd.

Between the lines: The attorney general’s limited role in prosecuting criminal cases became a big issue in the race. Both Ellison and Schultz called for adding more attorneys to the office’s tiny criminal division, which aids local prosecutors.