Keith Ellison accepts endorsement for Minnesota Attorney General at DFL Convention in Rochester

May 21—ROCHESTER — DFL delegates endorsed Keith Ellison for attorney general with a resounding cheer in the Mayo Civic Center auditorium on Saturday, May 21, 2022.

In his speech, Ellison made clear multiple times to the crowd of about 700 delegates that this is a "make or break moment in history."

He highlighted what Republicans are doing now to threaten the U.S. democracy: believing the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump, working to strip the right to access a safe abortion, questioning the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines, and fighting to take away the rights of transgender children.

Ellison was shaken about events that have happened in Minnesota and across the country, including the murder of 10 people at the Tops Grocery Store on Saturday, May 14, 2022, in Buffalo, New York.

"From a global pandemic, to a violent insurrection and attack on democracy at our nation's Capitol, to the murder of George Floyd and the racial reckoning that has followed, to the existential challenge of Roe v. Wade, and the murderous attack in Buffalo, we have endured threat after threat to our basic human dignity," he said.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar spoke to delegates via a video before Ellison's speech. She said Ellison is "motivated by generosity and fairness."

"He truly believes everyone matters," Klobuchar said.

She said that "Keith takes his orders from the people of Minnesota," and has worked tirelessly to improve the criminal justice system across the state.

"Keith ensured there would be accountability for the murder of George Floyd," Klobuchar said, about the prosecution of Derek Chauvin, which was a trial Klobuchar said many people didn't believe that Ellison and his team would win.

On the note of criminal justice reform, Ellison discussed the need for resources to fight the most serious crimes and his work to assist county attorneys across Minnesota with violent crime cases. He said his office is working to build a "criminal justice system where no one is above the law, and no one is below the law."

Ellison rallied the crowd and said that the DFL party was "made for this moment." He described the party's belief in creating a more perfect union, for everyone.

"Nobody is outside our circle of compassion," Ellison said.

Ellison said he's ultimately "fighting for this state to live up to its highest ideal." He called on delegates to "go across this state and invite everyone to join us. "

"Everybody is invited to this party called democracy," he said.