Keith Ellison

Keith Maurice Ellison (born August 4, 1963) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 30th attorney general of Minnesota since 2019. From 2007 to 2019, Ellison was the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district, representing the Minneapolis region. He also served as Deputy Chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2017 to 2018 and was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007. He is a member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL). A progressive, Ellison served as co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a chief deputy whip during his congressional tenure. Ellison was the first Muslim elected to Congress and the first African American representative from Minnesota. He garnered national attention in his campaign in the 2017 Democratic National Committee chairmanship election, gaining support from progressive groups and U.S. senators Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer. His candidacy prompted renewed scrutiny of his past statements and affiliation with the Nation of Islam, which drew criticism from some moderate Democrats. Ellison lost to Tom Perez, who subsequently appointed Ellison deputy chair. Ellison was elected attorney general of Minnesota in 2018. He is the first African American elected to partisan statewide office in Minnesota and the first Muslim in the U.S. to win statewide office. He was reelected in 2022 with 50.4% of the vote.