Few in Minnesota are betting on the outcome Tuesday night of the hard-fought and widely-watched race for state attorney general between Republican Doug Wardlow and controversial Democrat Keith Ellison.
According to a KSTP-TV/Survey USA poll released days ago, Ellison — whose charges of domestic abuse with a former girlfriend became public days before the Democratic primary — leads by 44 to 40 percent over former state legislator Wardlow.
Another 4 percent said they would vote for someone else and 12 percent voiced no opinion. The poll's margin of error was +/-5.3 percentage points.
The poll became public just as former Ramsey County attorney Tom Foley registered as a write-in candidate. Foley has made runs for U.S. Senator and lieutenant governor and ran in the Democratic primary for attorney general.
KSTP also showed that 37 percent of Minnesota voters believe the domestic abuse charges should be an issue in the campaign, but 43 percent say it should not be. But there has been another controversy swirling around the Democratic nominee.
“Ellison raised funds for the defense of Symbionese Liberation Army domestic terrorist Kathleen Soliah, and publicly hoped that fugitive cop killer Joanne Chesimard--also known as Assata Shakur - would remain free from U.S. authorities,” longtime Minnesota conservative activist John Augustine told Newsmax.
“In the 1990s, Ellison worked in concert with racist Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, and his claims to have cut all ties with Farrakhan have been refuted by The Washington Post.”
Augustine also noted that the Democratic hopeful is a supporter of sanctuary cities (which prevent authorities from detecting illegal immigrants) and participated in a march wearing a T-Shirt with the message in Spanish: “I don’t believe in borders!”
Wardlow is considered more conservative than most Minnesota Republicans. After leaving the legislature in ’12, he went to work for the pro-family Alliance Defending Freedom.
According to an interview in the St. Cloud Times, “Wardlow feels the attorney general should be more involved in prosecuting welfare fraud. If elected, he will also work to counsel state agencies and make sure they’re not over-regulating or overstepping their authority.”
Cleary, the race for attorney general is a contest of polar opposites — and the outcome Tuesday night will surely draw national attention.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.