Five candidates face-off in tonight’s primary to be the next Hennepin County Attorney.
Tonight’s election is nonpartisan, so the top two vote-getters will advance to the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The winner will lead the largest legal office in Minnesota, with 500 staffers including criminal and civil prosecutors, child protection and child support attorneys and investigators.
See which candidate aligns best with their views by taking Sahan Journal’s Meet Your County Attorney quiz here.
State Rep. Cedrick Frazier carries the endorsement of the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party and several labor unions. He is running on progressive efforts like protecting immigrants from “unjust” deportations, combating wage theft and supporting “proven violence prevention strategies.”
Former Acting U.S. Attorney Anders Folk promises to bring a “public safety first” mindset to the office. Folk has listed four main priorities he would focus on in his first 100 days: investigate and prosecute violations by federal officers during Operation Metro Surge, focus on violent and repeat offenders, use a data-driven approach to prevent harm and work collaboratively with police and other levers of government.
Minneapolis attorney Matt Pelikan, who in 2018 was the DFL-endorsed candidate for Attorney General, is running on a platform focused on battling violent crime, holding federal immigration enforcement accountable for its actions in Operation Metro Surge and cracking down on fraud, wage theft and scams.
Retired Hennepin County prosecutor Diane Krenz cites her 40 years of experience working in the office as key to her candidacy. She is highly critical of outgoing Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and her public safety reforms and said she’ll “return the office to increasing public safety and seeing justice done.”
Ramsey County prosecutor Hao Ngyuen is heavily focused on violent crime and promises he’ll take what he contends is working in the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office across the river to Hennepin County.
“I will transfer the trauma-informed victim services and diversion practices we’re using in Ramsey County to help keep everyone in Hennepin County safe,” Ngyuen previously told Sahan Journal.
Polling places close at 8 p.m. Election results will be automatically updated approximately every 10 minutes throughout the evening.
