Keith Ellison abandons Congress, and DNC, in bid to become Minnesota Attorney General

As WCCO Minnesota reports:

Just hours before the Tuesday deadline, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison filed to run for attorney general, leaving his seat in Congress up for grabs. Ellison looks to run in the August primary against Matt Pelikan, who won the DFL endorsement at the party convention, former Attorney General Mike Hatch and state Rep. Debra Hilstrom, both of whom filed to run Tuesday morning. However, Hatch said Tuesday that he’ll withdraw from the race if “the right candidate” jumps in. Ellison’s running for attorney general leaves questions about who will replace him in representing Minnesota’s reliably Democratic 5th District.

DNC Chairman Tom Perez had this to say, via USA Today:

Tom Perez, the DNC chair, said Ellison has been “an invaluable voice in shaping our party’s future” as his right-hand and applauded his choice to run for the state’s top law enforcement position. “I have come to know Keith as someone who is passionate about finding every possible way to help the greatest number of Americans achieve a better quality of life,” Perez said in a statement. “And I have witnessed that passion in every single decision he has made, including whether to continue the fight in Congress or to run and serve as Minnesota’s chief law enforcement official.”

Since we all love scuttlebutt, here’s the rumor mill version of this story: Ellison allegedly has his sights set on bigger things. He’s made no secret of broader political ambitions, and there are plenty of folks saying he’d like nothing more than to be the first Muslim U.S. President. Currently the only thing of value in his career history is time served in the legislative branch. So, there’s speculation that Ellison is looking to pad his resume prior to a higher-office bid. There are also reports of longstanding tension between Ellison and Tom Perez, so it’s possible that Ellison is eager for a career-positive reason to leave his vice chair gig. As Politico reports:

Ellison has been in Congress since 2007, and served as deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee since last year, as a leader of the Bernie Sanders wing of the party. But he’s been chafing for months at both roles: being in the minority in Congress and being subsumed to DNC Chairman Tom Perez, who beat him for the top job.

Here’s Ellison’s version of events:

You deserve an Attorney General who will never stop fighting for you and your family. That is what I plan to do. My full statement: pic.twitter.com/2uPsH3aAlQ

— Rep. Keith Ellison (@keithellison) June 5, 2018

Whatever the reality, he’ll be someone to keep an eye on – and we’re glad to see him leave Congress.