Swanson will seek re-election as Minnesota AG, not governor
(KMSP) - Attorney General Lori Swanson announced in an e-mail Sunday that she will be seeking re-election as Attorney General and will not be running for Governor.
Many anticipated the Democrat, who has been in office for three terms, to field a run for governor.
“It is an incredible honor to represent our fellow Minnesotans in this office,” she wrote in an e-mail to supporters. “I appreciate the support of the many people who have encouraged me to run for Governor. I signed up with my fellow Minnesotans for a four-year term as Attorney General. While I am complimented that recent polls show me in a leadership position if I were to run for Governor, the work of the Attorney General’s Office is at a critical juncture for the next two months. I must focus all my energy and attention on that work.”
She didn’t specifically state what the upcoming work is that she referred to in the e-mail. However, she does have several pending lawsuits against generic drug companies. Swanson is also active in a lawsuit that accuses 3M of dumping “massive quantities” of harmful chemicals in the eastern Twin Cities metro for nearly five decades, contaminating groundwater as early as the 1960s. The trial is scheduled for early this year.
Several Democrats entered the race for the attorney general expecting the office to be open.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.