Photo shows Hennepin County Attorney Candidates Cedrick Frasier, Anders Folk, Matt Pelikan and Hao Nguyen as portrayed on their campaign websites. (Supplied)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Multiple candidates have announced their runs for Hennepin County Attorney's Office, which is set for a general election in November 2026.
Current Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced this summer that she will not seek reelection.
Hennepin County Attorney candidates
Anders Folk
Former Acting U.S. Attorney Anders Folk announced his run for Hennepin County Attorney on Thursday, Oct. 9, saying his goal is to "focus on restoring public safety in Hennepin County, bringing back common sense to criminal justice, and protecting Hennepin County's most vulnerable residents."
Folk has served as a U.S. marine and a senior official in the U.S. Department of Justice under former President Joe Biden. He also signed the federal indictment of Derek Chauvin for violating George Floyd's civil rights.
Former U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Andy Luger endorsed Folk's run, saying he will bring "calm, steady and professional leadership" to the office.
Folk released the following statement with his campaign announcement:
"As Hennepin County Attorney, I will bring a balanced, transparent approach, ensuring criminals are held accountable for their actions, while leading with compassion and empathy. The Hennepin County Attorney must be actively involved in our community, as a leader, a listener and a public safety problem-solver."
Rep. Cedrick Frazier
Minnesota State Rep. Cedrick Frazier announced his run for office about two weeks after Moriarty said she would not seek reelection.
The DFL representative for New Hope and Crystal said on his website that he believes "public safety starts with public trust, and leadership starts with listening."
In a video shared as part of his campaign announcement, Frazier shared some of his background, discussing growing up in a low-income neighborhood on the south side of Chicago.
"The failed legal policies of the ’80s and ’90s took a devastating toll on communities like the one I grew up in," says Frazier. "My neighborhood faced widespread gang violence and drug trafficking. I lost loved ones, both to the tragedies of gun violence and the harsh realities of the legal system."
Frazier came to Minnesota to attend college and play football. He ultimately worked his way through law school and became an attorney. In 2025, Frazier is in his third term as a representative in the Minnesota House.
He is endorsed by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Lt. Governor Peggy Flangan, Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies Winston and Golden Valley Mayor Roslyn Harmon.
Hao Nguyen
Former assistant Ramsey County Attorney Hao Q. Nguyen comes with 15 years of experience as a prosecutor after announcing his candidacy for the Hennnepin County Attorney's Office in September.
Nguyen said in his campaign announcement that he is currently working as a senior-level manager in a metro prosecutors office that oversees more than 300 employees. Before practicing law, he served as a corrections officer, police officer and sheriff's deputy.
He adds that he came to the United States as an immigrant and a refugee, fleeing a warzone with his mother and two siblings.
Nguyen released the following statement along with his campaign announcement:
"I am an experienced prosecutor who believes in justice and fairness for everyone in our Hennepin County community. I will hold violent offenders accountable for their actions, while uplighting the voices of victims. I will reasonably consider innovation and responsible reform, but never at the cost of public safety or equity for all our communities. In Hennepin County you have the right to be safe and treated fairly. You shouldn’t have to pick one over the other."
His endorsements include Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt and Ramsey County Attorney John Choi.
Matt Pelikan
Minneapolis lawyer Matt Pelikan, who previously ran for the Minnesota Attorney General's Office before losing to current Attorney General Keith Ellison, said he aims to work with "police officers, victims, advocates, schools and communities to stop violence before it starts," while "holding people accountable when harm occurs."
Pelikan won the DFL endorsement in the race for the Minnesota Attorney General's Office in 2018 and proudly calls himself a "lifelong Minnesotan and Democrat."
Pelikan announced his candidacy in early October. Part of his campaign announcement said the following:
"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."
The Source: This story uses information shared in a campaign announcement news release and previous FOX 9 reporting.