Minnesota attorney Ron Schutz entered the race for attorney general Tuesday, the first Republican to announce a campaign for the seat held by Keith Ellison.
Schutz, a U.S. Army veteran and partner at Robins Kaplan LLP, is a significant Republican donor and board member of the conservative think tank, the Center for the American Experiment.
“In every chapter of my life — as a soldier, as a lawyer, as a community leader and as a husband and father — I have fought for fairness, accountability and justice,” Schutz said in a statement announcing his candidacy.
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Chair Richard Carlbom called Schutz a “corporate shill ready to invite [President Donald] Trump to occupy our cities, pollute our water and erode the rights of everyday Minnesotans.”
“Schutz is more committed to politicizing this office than running it, paying to embed himself in the boards of billionaire-funded, dark money groups fighting on behalf of Minnesota’s wealthiest,” Carlbom said.
Schutz’s campaign website focuses on conservative priorities, including addressing crime, stopping the defrauding of state government, supporting law enforcement and preventing trans athletes from participating in girls sports.
His announcement points the finger at Ellison, a Democrat, for violent crime, fraudsters swindling state resources and “once-vibrant cities … becoming ghost towns.”
“The time for real leadership is now,” Schutz said. “I will be tough on crime, aggressively pursue fraud, return stolen tax dollars to the people of Minnesota and ensure fairness in women’s and girls sports.”
Ellison has not announced whether he will seek re-election next year.
Republicans in Minnesota have made fraud central to their 2026 campaign talking points, arguing the state is not aggressive enough in rooting out and prosecuting fraud.
Ellison in recent weeks has highlighted his office’s efforts to help investigate fraud, including partnering with federal law enforcement, as indictments stack up against individuals accused of stealing money from the state’s Medicaid program.
Since Trump took office in January, Ellison has been one of several Democratic attorneys suing the administration over firing federal workers and cutting off education, natural disaster and health research funding. Ellison’s office is also suing the Trump administration over a pair of executive orders targeting trans minors.
Wesley Lapointe/For the Washington Post
Trump administration officials are considering eliminating age as a factor in deciding whether someone is capable of working.
Andrew Harnik/The Associated Press
James Comey pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a criminal case that has highlighted the Justice Department’s efforts to target adversaries of President Donald Trump, with lawyers for the former FBI director saying they plan to argue the prosecution is politically motivated and should be dismissed.