Attorney General Race: Ellison vs. Wardlow

Minnesota will have a new Attorney General. The New York Times wrote about the closely watched contest. Democrat Congressman Keith Ellison is matched up against Republican Doug Wardlow. It's an open seat. Domestic abuse allegations against Ellison have the Democratic National Committee Deputy Chair under fire.

In the friendly atmosphere of the Minnesota State Fair, we talked with both candidates. Wardlow said "there's no better place to campaign" and Ellison added "people know their stuff around here."  It is remarkable in a place designed for amusement, with food on a stick and rides all around, that voters are willing and able to talk policy.

Ellison told us his opponents don't want the abuse allegations to go away, but he's confident he'll be vindicated, saying " I know the truth of what happened." Wardlow called the allegations credible and concerning for someone who wants to be the state's top law enforcement official.

Wardlow was a state representative who voted in favor of a constitutional ban of same sex marriage, but the Republican says he would not work to overturn Minnesota's marriage equality law that followed after he lost his seat in the House, saying "that's a law on the books and it needs to be enforced."

The law license of Congressman Ellison has been inactive since he went to D.C., raising a red flag with his opposition. Ellison says he was following congressional ethics rules on conflicts of interest, and he has been working to reactivate his license through CLE credits.