Rep. Keith Ellison will remain in his seat in Congress, but will not run for reelection. He’ll also remain as deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee during his campaign. | Branden Camp/AP Photo Ellison launches bid for Minnesota attorney general The congressman will continue serving as the DNC’s No. 2 during the campaign.

Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison jumped into the race for Minnesota attorney general Tuesday, the final day candidates were allowed to file.

Ellison won‘t leave Congress immediately, but he will not run for reelection. He will also remain deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee during his campaign.


"No one—not even a president—is above the law. From immigration reform to protecting our air and water, it has never been more important to have a leader as attorney general who can stand up against threats to our neighbors’ health or freedoms," Ellison said in a statement.

The decision follows several days of political chaos in Minnesota. Current Attorney General Lori Swanson failed to get re-nominated for her job at the Democrat-Farmer-Labor convention over the weekend. Then on Monday, she announced she would run for governor instead, with retiring Rep. Rick Nolan as her running mate.

The move has been a long time coming for Ellison, who toyed with jumping into the race at the end of last year before opting against it under the assumption Swanson would run again. He’s eager to take on a more prominent role in the Democratic opposition to the Trump administration, and he sees that opportunity in being attorney general and joining the legal fight, rather than continuing in Congress.

Ellison will enter a crowded primary. The party convention backed activist and attorney Matt Pelikan, who made the case against Swanson on the grounds that the office needed a strong and authentic progressive — which Pelikan argued she wasn’t. Ellison, though, will enter as a national progressive leader, with deep ties to Bernie Sanders and activists and prominent supporters all over the state and throughout the country.

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Jaime Harrison, an associate chair of the DNC and former South Carolina Democratic party chairman, tweeted: “Wishing my friend @keithellison the best in his run for AG in MN! It would be great for him to join our friend CA AG @AGBecerra in the fight for justice!“ He was referring to Xavier Becerra, the former congressman and now attorney general from California.

One person not endorsing Ellison at this point: DNC chair Tom Perez.

Perez issued a statement on Tuesday calling Ellison “a born leader, a brilliant organizer, and a fierce fighter for the Democratic values of inclusion and opportunity for all Americans,” adding that he’s been “an invaluable voice in shaping our party’s future” as deputy chair.

Perez did not, however, say that he supported the decision to run for Minnesota’s chief law enforcement official. A spokesman for Perez did not respond to a request for comment.

Two weeks ago, Perez’s endorsement of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in his primary against actress Cynthia Nixon caused the latest flare-up between the two. That race has become a fight among progressives, and one in which Nixon operatives have tried to replicate the Sanders-Clinton split. Nixon supporters were enraged when Perez weighed in — especially given the chairman’s repeated pledges that the DNC wouldn’t endorse in primaries.

After the fact, Perez cited his long relationship with Cuomo as the rationale. He did not tell Ellison ahead of time, prompting a public disagreement over whether the DNC should be endorsing in primaries at all.

Perez is not alone. A spokeswoman for Sanders didn’t respond when asked if the senator would be backing his ally.

