U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison has been endorsed for state attorney general by MAPE.

“Representative Keith Ellison has a decades-long record of standing up for workers and their families, both as an attorney and elected official. He strongly believes in employees’ right to organize and collectively bargain, including in the attorney general’s office,” MAPE Political Action Committee (PAC) Chair Cathleen Cotter said.

Ellison served in the Minnesota House of Representatives for four years and during this time scored more than 95 percent on MAPE’s legislative vote report on issues important to MAPE members including fair contracts, employee whistleblower protections, worker rights, safety and proper state agency funding.

“As a member of Congress, Representative Ellison championed consumer, worker and civil rights protections to defend the rights of Minnesotans. As attorney general, he will continue to fight for fair wages, affordable health care and retirement security. MAPE believes Keith is well-qualified to be Minnesota’s next attorney general and supports him in his bid to be the ‘People’s Lawyer,’” Cotter added.

While in the state legislature, Doug Wardlow, the Republican-endorsed candidate for attorney general, was the chief author of right to work legislation designed to strip workers of their power to collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions for all. Wardlow also worked to cut state employees’ pay and repeal a state law requiring local governments to ensure women and men are paid equally. Wardlow’s anti-worker votes earned him a rare “0 percent” score from the Minnesota AFL-CIO.