Republican State Representative Nick Zerwas from Elk River warns if Democrat Keith Ellison becomes Minnesota attorney general, he’ll take over prosecution of cases where officers shoot suspects — something law enforcement is worried about.  Zerwas says, “We have 20 years of blatantly anti-law enforcement rhetoric from Congressman Ellison.”  Ellison responds the attorney general should be a partner in cases of officer-involved shootings, but he’d let county attorneys take the lead.  He says, “We have to have a fair process to manage all these officer-involved shootings: fair to the officer, fair to the victims. That’s what we’ve gotta do.”  Ellison says he values and honors law enforcement officers and is grateful for the work they do every day.

Republicans also warn that Ellison as attorney general would push his own political agenda, demonstrated in an on-line video in which he says, “I do plan on doing some national litigation.” Republican state Senator Warren Limmer says it’s “completely inappropriate for Mr. Ellison as a candidate for the attorney general office to say whether he thinks a law is constitutional or not. That’s up for a judge to decide.” Ellison responds in the case of Roe -v- Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion:  “If the Minnesota Legislature says that they’re going to take away some fundamental right that has been recognized in American law and in Minnesota law, I’m not gonna be all right with that.”

Ellison says his Republican opponent Doug Wardlow pledged to be non-political, but has said he’ll get Republican staffers in the attorney general’s office and would carry out the Trump agenda.