Matt Pelikan announces run for Hennepin County Attorney's Office

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Hennepin County Attorney Candidate Matt Pelikan. (Supplied)

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Minneapolis lawyer announced his candidacy for the Hennepin County Attorney's Office after Mary Moriarty announced she is not seeking reelection.

Matt Pelikan previously ran for the Minnesota Attorney General's Office in 2018, winning the DFL endorsement before ultimately losing the role to current Attorney General Keith Ellison.

Pelikan running for Hennepin County Attorney

What they're saying:

Matt Pelikan released the following announcement:

"I am proud to announce my campaign for Hennepin County Attorney.

"I love our community and believe in it. Hennepin County is full of energy, resilience, and possibility. For more than twenty years I’ve made downtown Minneapolis my home. I believe deeply in this city and this county and I am filled with optimism about what lies ahead. But optimism alone is not enough. We must stand together to confront the scourge of gun violence, safeguard the freedoms that allow us to speak and assemble, and reject the reckless voices that pit neighbor against neighbor and would trade our democracy for division and fear.

"Safety and justice are not competing goals. Nor are they merely slogans. They are the foundation of a community that works for everyone. People deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods: to walk down the street, to open a business, or to raise a family knowing this is a place where they can thrive. That means treating every member of our community with fairness, compassion, and equality. Whether you’re a long-time resident or an immigrant, whether you live in Wayzata or on the street, whether you’re a college student or a senior trying to get by in a changing neighborhood, we all have to stand together.

"That’s why safety and justice aren’t just the foundation of community, they’re the foundation of this campaign.

"Safety is more than the failed ‘tough on crime’ policies of decades past. Real safety is prevention and protection. It means working with police officers, victim advocates, schools, and community leaders to stop violence before it starts. It means supporting the partners who keep our neighborhoods safe, and building a system that reduces crime while still demanding accountability. And it means confronting gun violence directly, because families should never have to live in fear of bullets on their block, in their school, or in their church.

"Justice means equality under the law, fairness in our system, and accountability when violence tears at our communities. Justice means protecting human dignity and never turning a blind eye to abuse of power. And justice means we don’t abandon people who are struggling with homelessness, addiction, or serious mental health challenges but instead help them find stability, treatment, and the chance to reclaim their lives.

"So many of us want to see a community that is more secure, more fair, and more accountable. But the past four years have fallen short on all three. Violent offenders have not been held accountable, neighborhoods have been left at risk, and too often law enforcement and other would-be allies have been treated as enemies instead of as partners. That failed approach deepened divisions, eroded trust, and broke apart the very coalitions for progress we need to build safe communities. Victims, families, law enforcement officers, and reform advocates alike have been left disillusioned and divided. That isn’t reform, it’s recklessness.

"We need a new direction: one that delivers safety through practical approaches that support both community and law enforcement, and justice through our unwavering commitment to a more equal society.

"I am proud to be a lifelong Minnesotan and Democrat. I hear the call from my fellow Minnesotans—and fellow progressives-who are ready to turn the page. Thriving cities must also be safe cities. If progressives can’t deliver livable communities, then progress itself is at risk. From our smallest towns to the heart of our largest city, I know that no matter where you live in Hennepin County—over on Main Street or over North—you deserve the same security, fairness, and opportunity.

"That’s why it is on us, as progressives, to prove that together we can build a Hennepin County that is both safe and just. True progress means safe communities, equal justice, and a shared future built on dignity and hope.

"I look forward to earning your support."