Hennepin County Democrats endorsed Rep. Cedrick Frazier as their candidate for Hennepin County attorney over the weekend.
Frazier, serving his third term in the Minnesota House, reportedly won the endorsement on the first ballot with 61% of the vote, beating out former Acting U.S. Attorney Anders Folk, Ramsey County prosecutor Hao Nguyen, and attorney Matt Pelikan.
Both Folk and Nguyen have indicated that they will run in the nonpartisan August primary, where the top two finishers advance to the general election. Former Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Diane Krenz is also running in the primary.
During his time in the legislature, Frazier has supported efforts to give state driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, extend a state-run healthcare program to illegal aliens, and make Minnesota a so-called “sanctuary state.”
He was also the chief author of legislation to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for certain gun crimes and wrote the “Minnesota Migration Act,” a bill that would begin the process of developing a reparations system. The Minnesota Migration Act sought $100 million of taxpayer money.
The winner of November’s election will replace current Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, who announced last summer that she won’t seek a second term.
Elected Hennepin County attorney in 2022, Moriarty’s tenure has been marked by various controversies, including her failed prosecution of State Trooper Ryan Londregan and her leniency toward violent criminals.
Notably, Frazier endorsed Moriarty in her 2022 campaign to lead the county attorney’s office.
In the race for county sheriff, incumbent Sheriff Dawanna Witt failed to secure the Democratic endorsement despite running unopposed. Witt has faced criticism from the progressive wing of her party for her handling of ICE’s Operation Metro Surge earlier this year.
“Deciding to withdraw from the DFL endorsement process was not an easy one. I appreciate receiving 58% of the vote after multiple rounds of voting. Failing to reach 60% does not make me any less of a Democrat. Some of my strongest partnerships have been with Democrats, from Amy Klobuchar to state legislators to mayors across Hennepin County,” Witt said in a statement.
Witt will face Joseph Banks, a former Morton police chief, in the general election.
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
