# Attorney General of Minnesota *Constitutional officer in the executive branch of the state of Minnesota* The attorney general of [[Minnesota]] holds a constitutional office in the state's executive branch and serves as the state's chief law officer.[^1][^3] Thirty people have filled the office since statehood. The current holder is [[Keith Ellison]] of the [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]].[^1] The office enters the project's at-issue record through one pair, which sets a 1965 federal executive order beside a 2026 federal lawsuit. [[Executive Order 11247]], dated September 24, 1965, moved federal [[Title VI]] coordination to the Attorney General of the United States. The order's stated ground was that the issues "will be predominantly legal in character."[^5] The at-issue record states that in 2026 the Attorney General of the United States is suing Minnesota over the same body of law. The complaint, its docket number and its status are not in the record assembled for this article.[^6] ## Who Voters elect the attorney general. A [[governor]] may fill a vacancy by appointment, and the appointee serves out the remaining term.[^2] Candidates must be qualified voters and at least 21 years old. They must also have lived permanently in Minnesota for no fewer than 30 days before the election.[^2] Wikipedia's list of office-holders tallies the thirty holders by party:[^4] | Party | Holders | |---|---| | Republican | 19 | | Democratic–Farmer–Labor | 8 | | Farmer-Labor | 2 | | Union Democrat | 1 | The Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party was formed on April 15, 1944, when the state Democratic Party merged with the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party. It is affiliated with the national Democratic Party.[^4] The attorney general also holds seats ex officio on six bodies:[^3] - the Board of Pardons - the Executive Council - the Land Exchange Board - the Governing Board of the [[Minnesota Historical Society]] - the Records Disposition Panel - the State Board of Investment ## What As chief law officer, the attorney general appears for the state parens patriae in state and federal courts. The office also represents the state in administrative proceedings, both in adjudications and in rulemaking.[^3] Its other duties include:[^3] - handling felony criminal appeals; - issuing formal opinions on constitutional and statutory questions; - giving legal advice, litigation support and appellate work to more than 100 state agencies, boards and commissions. Rural county prosecutors sometimes receive the same assistance in serious felony cases and criminal prosecutions.[^3] Apart from that work, the office:[^3] - enforces Minnesota's antitrust and consumer protection laws; - regulates charities; - represents residents and small businesses in utility matters. ## When - **1886:** Elections for the office moved from odd-numbered to even-numbered years.[^4] - **1962:** Starting with that year's election, the term was lengthened from two years to four.[^4] - **February 5, 1965:** President Johnson's [[Executive Order 11197]] created the [[President's Council on Equal Opportunity]].[^5] - **September 24, 1965:** Executive Order 11247 revoked the earlier order, effective thirty days later, and moved the Title VI coordination function and the Council's records to the Attorney General.[^5] - **April 2025:** The White House issued *Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy*, the presidential action to which the at-issue pair is anchored.[^7] - **2026:** According to the at-issue record, the U.S. Attorney General is suing Minnesota.[^6] ## How Elections for attorney general are held on Election Day in November. The winner is sworn in on the first Monday of the January that follows.[^2] No term limit applies.[^2] An attorney general can be removed from office in two ways: by voter recall, or by impeachment and trial.[^2] ## In the at-issue record Pair AI-Humphrey-045 is filed under the section *The Waverly Promise & the Boundary County Edition*. It joins two documented items.[^6] **The 1965 orders.** Executive Order 11197 provided that the Vice President "shall be the chairman of the Council." That placed Vice President Humphrey in the federal civil-rights coordinating role ([[Vice President of the United States]]).[^5] The dossier counts 231 days, about seven and a half months, between that order and Executive Order 11247.[^5] The later order transferred the coordination function to the Attorney General. It described the Attorney General as "the chief law officer of the Federal Government."[^5] **The 2026 suit.** The at-issue record states that in 2026 the Attorney General of the United States is suing Minnesota over the same body of law.[^6] The pair lists a complaint (justice.gov) and an order (presidency.ucsb.edu) as its sources. Neither document is reproduced here, and no docket is given.[^6] The pair is anchored to the April 2025 White House action *Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy*. The at-issue record describes that action as directing the same office that Executive Order 11247 empowered.[^7][^6] **The state statute.** The dossier identifies [[§43A.191]] as a statute that the Minnesota attorney general defends and the U.S. Attorney General challenges. The record assembled here does not include the filing that would establish what is alleged, the docket, or the case's status.[^5] **Why the function moved.** The record does not establish a reason beyond the order's stated ground. The dossier notes that a standard secondary account links the timing to the Watts riots of August 11–16, 1965. It also notes that the order itself says only that the issues are "predominantly legal in character."[^5] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Attorney General of Minnesota*, lead section (revision 1374553396, retrieved 2026-10-26), CC BY-SA 4.0 — the office's constitutional status, the thirty holders since statehood, and the incumbent and his party. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attorney_General_of_Minnesota [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *Attorney General of Minnesota*, section "Election and term of office" (revision 1374553396, retrieved 2026-10-26), CC BY-SA 4.0 — election timing, absence of term limits, qualifications, vacancy appointment, recall and impeachment. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attorney_General_of_Minnesota [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *Attorney General of Minnesota*, section "Powers and duties" (revision 1374553396, retrieved 2026-10-26), CC BY-SA 4.0 — chief law officer role, parens patriae representation, services to state agencies, enforcement duties and ex officio board seats. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attorney_General_of_Minnesota [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Attorney General of Minnesota*, section "List of attorneys general" (revision 1374553396, retrieved 2026-10-26), CC BY-SA 4.0 — the 1886 move to even-year elections, the 1962 four-year term, party tallies of holders, and the 1944 founding of the DFL. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attorney_General_of_Minnesota [^5]: Project dossier, *HHH_Waverly_Apex_Dossier_2026-09-02.md* §IV.6 (2026-09-02; validated) — quotes Executive Orders 11197 (February 5, 1965) and 11247 (September 24, 1965) from their full text; gives the 231-day interval; names §43A.191; notes the secondary Watts reading. The pack carries no URL for this dossier or for either order. [^6]: Project at-issue record, pair AI-Humphrey-045, *The Waverly Promise & the Boundary County Edition* (built 2026-10-28) — states the 2026 suit by the U.S. Attorney General against Minnesota and lists a complaint (justice.gov) and an order (presidency.ucsb.edu) as sources; neither document is carried in the pack. [^7]: The White House, *Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy* (April 2025) — the presidential action named as the pair's anchor. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/restoring-equality-of-opportunity-and-meritocracy