ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, has filed papers to run for Minnesota attorney general.
Ellison, also the vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee, filed Tuesday just hours ahead of a deadline. Ellison will likely need to resign his post with the national party.
Ellison is in his sixth term representing a reliably Democratic Minneapolis-area seat. But he was lured into Minnesota’s attorney general race after the incumbent, Lori Swanson, jumped into the governor’s race on Monday.
Ellison says it was attorneys general who led the fight against President Donald Trump’s ban on travelers from mostly Muslim countries. He says he wants to be part of that fight.
I live in Keith Ellison’s district. There’s a deluge of state legislators going for Keith’s seat, plus other candidates are jumping in to AG seeing a free-for-all. It’s a heck of a weird story wit the incumbent AG. Here’s part of it blow by blow at the Democratic state convention. http://mnprogressiveproject.com/2018-dfl-state-convention-day-2/