Keith Ellison has focused his attention on “doing the most good” by leaving Congress and running for Minnesota Attorney General. The Democratic U.S. Rep for Minnesota is looking beyond his political legacy, focusing instead on helping people, he said.
“I am not looking to climb some career ladder,” Ellison, 54, said to The Guardian. “I don’t give a damn about that. What I care about is how can I help the most people. How can I be maximally effective in defense of people’s economic and social rights, that’s what I care about.”
Ellison is deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and he has earned national attention for his powerful words that have emboldened progressives. He has been in his Congressional position since 2007. As he leaves Congress and vacates a seat that Minnesota State Representative Ilhan Omar seeks to fill, the Democrat is clearly looking to brighter pastures. His fight has been against Trump and for civil rights — a mission that can best be fulfilled in enforcing laws as a state attorney general, he said.
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“I basically made a choice about what end of the fight I want to be in,” Ellison said. “Writing the law is super important, writing federal law is super important, but also enforcing the law is equally important and that’s just the end of it that I’d rather be focused on at this point.”
Ellison seeks to replace current incumbent Lori Swanson who is running for Minnesota governor. He faces four opponents in the Democratic primary: state Rep. Debra Hillstrom of Brooklyn Park; former Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman; former four-term Ramsey County Attorney Tom Foley; and Northfield native Matt Pelikan. The selection of Minnesota’s next Democratic candidate for AG will be left up to voters, who cast their ballots on August 14.
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