Scoop: Doug Wardlow announces run for Minnesota's attorney general

Republican Doug Wardlow is officially launching his second bid for Minnesota attorney general, Axios has learned.

The state of play: Attorney General Keith Ellison, a Democrat, edged out Wardlow by four percentage points in 2018 — the closest margin of any statewide race on the ballot that year.

• Wardlow, who has been teasing his announcement on social media, raised $85,000 for his bid in 2020, ending the year with $34,000 in campaign cash. Ellison raised about $150,000 and reported $54,000 cash on hand.

What he's saying: Wardlow focused on heavily on law and order in an announcement video released Wednesday.

• "I will stand with and defend our law enforcement, not defund them," Wardlow says.

Between the lines: The video hits Ellison on crime in Minneapolis, a failure to stop civil unrest last summer and claims of a soft approach to prosecuting those responsible for damage — all issues generally outside the AG's jurisdiction.

• A campaign spokesman defended the attacks, saying if Wardlow had been AG last summer, he would have used his platform to call for an end to violence and assist local and federal prosecutors.

Of note: Wardlow is an attorney for MyPillow, the Chaska company owned by Trump supporter Mike Lindell.

This story first appeared in the Axios Twin Cities newsletter, designed to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news unfolding in their own backyard.

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