Keith Ellison Bio
Keith Maurice Ellison (born 4 August 1963) is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the 30th Attorney General of Minnesota since 2019. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he represented Minnesota’s 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019. Earlier in his career, he served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007. Ellison is a progressive who co-chaired the Congressional Progressive Caucus and served as Deputy Chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2017 to 2018.
Ellison is widely recognized for several historic firsts: he was the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress and the first African American to represent Minnesota in Congress. In 2018, he became the first African American elected to partisan statewide office in Minnesota and the first Muslim in the United States to win statewide office. He won reelection as attorney general in 2022.
Early Life and Background
Keith Maurice Ellison was born on 4 August 1963 in Detroit, Michigan, to Leonard Ellison and Clida (Martinez) Ellison. He grew up in the city during a period of significant social change in the American Midwest. His mother and father raised him in Detroit, where he attended University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy.
After high school, Ellison enrolled at Wayne State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree. He later attended the University of Minnesota, where he received his Juris Doctor and began his legal career. His path from Detroit to Minnesota set the stage for his later work in state and national politics.
Path to US Politics
After completing his law degree, Ellison became active in civic and legal affairs in Minnesota. He served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007, building a record focused on consumer protection, housing, and economic relief. His early political work drew attention for his focus on middle-class issues and his willingness to challenge both major parties.
In 2006, Ellison decided to run for the United States House of Representatives in Minnesota’s 5th congressional district after longtime Representative Martin Olav Sabo announced his retirement. He won the DFL endorsement on the fourth ballot at the party convention and then won the primary with 41 percent of the vote. His campaign was notable for his pledge to address the Iraq War, raise the minimum wage, and fight for working families.
Keith Ellison Career
Early Career (2003–2007)
Ellison served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007, where he built a record as a progressive voice. During those years, he dealt with legal and financial challenges from his past, including repeated fines from the Minnesota State Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board for late filings of campaign reports. He was also sued twice by the Attorney General of Minnesota during this period.
Despite those challenges, Ellison won the 2006 DFL primary for Minnesota’s 5th congressional district and went on to win the general election with 56 percent of the vote. He was elected to the House of Representatives on November 7, 2006, and was sworn in on January 4, 2007.
Congressional Career (2007–2019)
When Ellison took office in 2007, he drew national attention for using a copy of the Qur’an translated by George Sale in 1734 and once owned by Thomas Jefferson for his reenacted swearing-in ceremony. He entered Congress pledging to focus on wages, housing, relief and justice for the middle class, and ending United States involvement in the Iraq War. In his first week, he voted with the new Democratic majority to raise the minimum wage, expand stem cell research funding, and allow Medicare to negotiate pharmaceutical prices.
During his early years in Congress, Ellison worked on financial issues for consumers, introducing legislation in 2007 to outlaw universal default by credit card companies. That effort became law in 2009 as part of the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights within the Credit CARD Act of 2009. In 2014, he introduced the Money Remittances Improvement Act to make it easier for nonbank financial institutions to send remittance payments internationally.
He also emerged as a leading voice on foreign affairs. Ellison joined a 2007 congressional delegation that visited the Middle East, meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. In 2009, he and Representative Brian Baird visited Gaza, becoming the first United States government officials to enter Gaza in more than three years. He made additional trips to the region in the years that followed.
Deputy DNC Chair Era (2017–2018)
In 2016, Ellison launched a campaign for chair of the Democratic National Committee, earning endorsements from Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Chuck Schumer, and outgoing Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. His candidacy drew scrutiny over past associations with the Nation of Islam, which he had publicly rejected, and he ultimately lost to Tom Perez.
After the 2016 election, Perez appointed Ellison as Deputy Chair of the DNC, a position he held from 2017 to 2018. In that role, he worked to bridge progressive and establishment wings of the party.
Attorney General Era (2019–Present)
Ellison won the 2018 election for Attorney General of Minnesota by more than 100,000 votes, becoming the first African American elected to partisan statewide office in Minnesota. He took office in January 2019 and was reelected in 2022 with 50.4 percent of the vote. As attorney general, he has led major prosecutions and consumer-protection actions, including taking over the prosecution in the Derek Chauvin case.
His office has pursued lawsuits on affordability, health care, and public safety. Ellison reached settlements with the three major insulin manufacturers to cap the cost of a month’s supply at $35 for five years, secured agreements with landlords to forgive millions in rent and repair unsafe properties, and filed suit against firearm retailers and manufacturers. He also championed the creation of Minnesota’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board and led passage of the Minnesota Debt Fairness Act in 2024.
Notable Events and Milestones
Ellison’s career includes several signature milestones: in 2007, he became the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress; in 2018, he became the first African American to win partisan statewide office in Minnesota and the first Muslim in the United States to win statewide office. His personal account of the murder of George Floyd and the trial of Derek Chauvin appears in his book Break the Wheel: Ending the Cycle of Police Violence.
Keith Ellison Family
Family Background and Personal Lineage
Keith Maurice Ellison was born to Leonard Ellison and Clida (Martinez) Ellison in Detroit, Michigan. He has credited his parents with shaping his commitment to civil rights and public service.
Personal Life
Ellison married Kim Ellison in 1987, and together they had four children between 1989 and 1997. The children were raised in the Muslim faith. Their son, Jeremiah Ellison, was elected to the Minneapolis City Council. Keith and Kim Ellison divorced on May 2, 2012, after he filed for legal separation in 2010.
On December 1, 2018, Ellison married Mónica Hurtado. He has also written two books: My Country ‘Tis of Thee (2014) and Break the Wheel: Ending the Cycle of Police Violence.