To the editor:

Minnesota voters: I urge you to support Keith Ellison for Minnesota Attorney General.

There has been a lot of attention on the allegations against Ellison. Those are very serious. I don’t take those lightly. While I don’t know what happened, Ellison has cooperated fully with the investigation conducted by Attorney Susan Ellingstad, encouraged the public and the media to treat his accuser with respect, and has openly asked for a House Ethics investigation for the allegations. I cannot imagine a person handling the (so far unproven) allegations better than Ellison has.

Ellison has pledged to defend Medicaid and fight against price-gouging from big pharmaceutical companies. He is dedicated to protect Minnesotans by supporting unions, working against unfair housing policies, and has stated he will “stand with Minnesota students and families to fight for fairness and debt relief” from student loans. Ellison will also “crack down on discrimination in all its forms, including gender, gender identity and sexual orientation, to ensure equal treatment in the workplace, housing, and throughout our society.” And yes, Ellison stands with immigrants: “Our country is at its best when we welcome those fleeing horrendous conditions, not when we fan the flames of bigotry and division.”

Ellison’s main opposition is Republican Doug Wardlow. He would be an absolute disaster for Minnesota. He has openly pledged to “Defend President Trump’s agenda in court,” which is reflected in his stance on immigrants, border security, and sanctuary cities.

In 2011, he was elected to the Minnesota House. He served just one term then got voted out, probably because he is so anti-union. He advocated for a right-to-work constitutional amendment that would have killed the requirements that workers join unions and pay dues in union shops — precisely the stance of the U.S. Supreme Court in its recent Janus v. AFSCME ruling.

Unsurprisingly, Wardlow is also extremely anti-LGBTQ+. He works for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a right-wing conservative law firm that has been called a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling on marriage equality in 2015, Wardlow characterized the Court’s decision as a “totalitarian impulse.” His hope is that the country will experience a “culture shift” and return to what he sees as the United States’ historical roots in Judeo-Christian beliefs and the idea that marriage is an exclusively heterosexual institution.

If you don’t like immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, or unions, than Wardlow is your candidate. But if you want someone who defends those, make sure to vote for Keith Ellison.

Ben Walker

Marshall