Republican attorney general candidate Doug Wardlow is going after Democratic opponent Keith Ellison as “extreme” and “out of touch” in a new campaign ad.
The new ad, released Wednesday, attacks Ellison for his “extreme views on open borders, his past support of cop killers and the recent allegations of domestic violence by multiple women.”
“Even the National Organization for Women has called for Ellison to end his campaign, and now extreme Keith Ellison wants to be our attorney general? How can we trust him to look out for us?” the ad states, saying Wardlow “will look out for all of us.”
Wardlow has been highly critical of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party investigation into the claims against Ellison, which recently concluded that the accusations are “unsubstantiated.” Wardlow called the investigation a “sham” since it was conducted by “the DFL Party attorney’s legal partner” who is on record of donating to Minnesota Democrats.
In a Wednesday press release, Wardlow’s Campaign Manager Billy Grant suggested that Ellison would use the attorney general’s office to “push a political agenda.”
“Minnesotans deserve an attorney general who will stand with law enforcement, fight for less crime, lower healthcare costs, consumer protections and a safer and fairer Minnesota. That is exactly what they will get with Doug Wardlow,” Grant said, criticizing Ellison for his “extreme views.”
In response, Ellison suggested that “it’s really the press that wants to talk about” the allegations, while voters are concerned with discussing the issues.
“Workers want to talk about work rules and fairness on the job site. Other folks want to talk about affordable housing. Still other folks want to talk about opioid addiction. Other folks want to talk about affordable child care,” he told reporters Wednesday, according to The Star Tribune.
Ellison’s spokesman Sam Fettig called the new ad an attempt to “distract and divide Minnesotans,” saying Wardlow needs to “talk about his own radical agenda.”
According to the latest MPR News poll, Ellison currently leads Wardlow 41 percent to 36 percent.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
