Minnesota's Attorney General race: Can Republicans finally break a sixty-year losing streak?
In short: On November 3, 2026, Minnesota voters will decide the future of the state's top legal office. Incumbent Democrat Keith Ellison is seeking a third term, facing a field of challengers aiming to end a Republican drought that has persisted since 1966. This contest highlights the state's evolving political landscape.
The 2026 Minnesota Attorney General election represents a significant test for both major parties. Keith Ellison, who has served as the state's attorney general since 2019, is currently campaigning for re-election to his third term. His tenure has been marked by his role as the incumbent, but he faces a determined opposition looking to capitalize on the state's shifting electoral dynamics.
For the Republican Party, the stakes are historical. The party has not secured a victory in a Minnesota attorney general race since 1966, a streak spanning six decades. Several candidates have emerged to challenge the status quo. Among them is David J.S. Madgett, a consumer protection attorney, and Ron Schutz, who brings experience as a former military prosecutor, Captain in the United States Army JAG Corps, and former chairman of Robins Kaplan LLP.
The field also includes candidates with extensive political backgrounds, such as Ryan Wilson, an attorney who previously ran for state auditor in 2022 and served as a running mate in the concurrent gubernatorial election. Additionally, Tad Jude is in the mix; he is a former judge from the 10th judicial district who served from 2011 to 2021, and a former Democratic state senator who represented the 48th district between 1983 and 1989. Jude was also the nominee for Minnesota's 3rd congressional district in 2024, though he is currently running for secretary of state.
This election is not merely about the individual candidates but about the broader political identity of Minnesota. As voters head to the polls in November 2026, the outcome will determine whether the state continues its long-standing Democratic trend in this office or if the Republican platform can finally resonate with a majority of the electorate after nearly sixty years of consecutive losses.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 2026 Minnesota Attorney General election
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