I am running to make Hennepin County a safe, thriving community and to lead it into the future. I am a father of four, a Democrat, a Marine veteran, the former Acting U.S. Attorney, and a Hopkins, Minnesota native.
I have led a public law office, served at the highest levels of the Department of Justice and bring decades of leadership and legal experience necessary to run the largest public law office in Minnesota. My career has centered around public service and public safety.
I am running because Hennepin County deserves an experienced prosecutor and leader who will work every day to make our county safe for everyone. Everyone in Hennepin County should be safe, receive equal justice, and be treated with dignity.
Public safety. My plans are detailed on my website, but there are four priorities: (1) Ensuring accountability for violations of Minnesota law by federal agents during Operation Metro Surge; (2) Strategic enforcement to ensure violent and repeat criminal offenders are held accountable and taken off our streets; (3) prevention and intervention to ensure people are kept out of the criminal justice system when possible; and (4) making the Hennepin County Attorney a public safety leader.
I am a collaborative leader and will use my deep experience as a prosecutor and public sector leader to bring together stakeholders to create policies and strategies that increase public safety. Building partnerships with law enforcement in Hennepin County is critical. I am committed to working with our law enforcement partners and making it clear that the County Attorney's Office will do its job to ensure public safety and that we expect our law enforcement partners to do their job.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach but change is required. We must strike a balance between compassion and consequence. For juveniles involved in gun crime, violent crime, and who repeatedly violate the law, we need to ensure consequences that disrupt criminal behavior. We also need to continue investing in proven diversion, restorative justice, and prevention programs that provide an opportunity to break the cycle that has gotten juveniles into the justice system in the first place.
As County Attorney, I will change the direction of the office. I will be a collaborative leader and partner to ensure offenders are accountable for violating the law. We will work with crime victims to ensure their voices are heard.
As a federal prosecutor, I worked with law enforcement, victim witness advocates and the courts to ensure accountability. Minnesota has effectively used Group Violence Intervention as a method to reduce recidivism and prevent individuals from violating the law.
Contact Phone
612 296 0573
telephone
6122960573
As the only DFL & Labor endorsed candidate in this race, I believe the decision before us this year is not simply about who holds the office of County Attorney—it’s about whether we move forward, applying the lessons we’ve learned from the past, or regress to the old failed approaches that do not deliver the safety or fairness our communities deserve.
My lived experience growing up on the southside of Chicago, combined with my professional experience as a public defender, legal counsel for Minneapolis Public Schools, a labor attorney at Education Minnesota, combined with my elected experience as a suburban city councilmember and state legislator, gives me the well-rounded perspective necessary to lead this office.
No one is above the law - whether on the corner of the block or in the corner office. That means treating wage theft like a crime, investing in proven violence prevention strategies, centering victims and survivors, and prosecuting ICE.
If we treat the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office as “business as usual,” we miss the opportunity—and the responsibility—to use this office to protect communities, defend rights, and respond to threats against our democracy.
With me, these relationships come built-in. During my service as a New Hope City Councilmember and State Legislator, I have built strong relationships with law enforcement, legislators, mayors, and community leaders.
To lead effectively, decisions need to be made together; no surprises.
I’ll ensure law enforcement investigations focus on the evidence needed for attorneys to build strong cases in court. When cases go to trial, we need convictions to stick.
I do not believe that placing children in adult prisons serves the long-term interests of public safety. There will, unfortunately, be cases where a young person commits conduct so serious that certification and a prison sentence are warranted.
That said, I will use my relationships at the State Capitol and with the County Commissioners to advocate for the resources needed to establish secure residential treatment options in Hennepin County for youth who are not safe at home or in the community
We do a great job with punishment. Reducing recidivism is something we struggle with.
I have a proven track record of making investments in our communities to bring down crime. I authored Minnesota’s Red Flag Law, “Restored the Vote” to formerly incarcerated Minnesotans, and funded investigations into Non-Fatal shootings.
All things that I’ve done in collaboration with law enforcement, victim advocates, and county attorneys, and all collaborative efforts that will continue under my leadership.
Contact Phone
(952)486-3953
telephone
9524863953
I am running to refocus the office on one core mission, protecting public safety by holding violent and repeat offenders accountable. I prosecuted crime in Hennepin County for over 40 years, handling all variety of cases, murder, fraud, sexual assault, and robbery, to name a few. I worked in many areas during my tenure, including juvenile, gang, property, and white-collar crime. I was the supervisor of the white-collar/fraud team before I left in 2025. I was a mentor to new prosecutors, helping train and guide them. I served in union leadership for 30 years, representing members in contract negotiations, meetings, and discipline investigations. The office has lost sight of its purpose and I will return that focus.
My first priority is ending all policies of the current Hennepin County Attorney, replacing them with common-sense prosecution ones. Second, I will re-establish working relationships with law enforcement to protect public safety. Third, I will work with victim/witness staff to insure that victims' rights are honored. Finally, I will engage with community groups to identify problems and craft solutions. My priorities are aimed at increasing public safety and restoring trust in the office.
Given my years in the County Attorney's Office, I have relationships with law enforcement already. I plan to meet with the chiefs of police and Sheriff to discuss repairing the currently broken relationships and how to do so. I have always believed in working with the police to make good cases better and to weed out the bad ones. That was a priority of mine when I worked in the office and I would bring that back with me. I will keep a managing attorney as a liaison to all police departments.
We face a difficult issue on August 1st when offenders under 13 can no longer be handled in juvenile delinquency court. We need to have greater accountability for juveniles in order to both protect public safety and rehabilitate the child and this change will make it harder to do that. Child Protection will need to step in to fill the gap, which will be difficult. We must look at new ways to provide services to change behavior and promote public safety.
I will assign an attorney to each police department to assist investigators. One complaint from the police is that there is no one in the office to help them with case questions. I plan on revitalizing the office's victim/witness division to serve victims better. I'll continue focus on probation revocations to make sure defendants pay restitution and monitor probation conditions. I believe treatment courts can help reduce reoffending, as can better mental health and addiction treatment.
My experience as a prosecutor and in law enforcement has taught me that we can do better than what we've seen in recent years, we can work together to create both safety and fairness. We can hold people accountable, and provide support. We can protect people’s rights, and hear victims. We can partner with law enforcement, and also hold them accountable.
I have 15 years as experience as an Assistant County Attorney and Criminal Trials Division Director; front line experience in law enforcement/corrections; and refugee/ immigrant lived experience; and a strong track record of building trust and communication between prosecutors, law enforcement, and community. I'm also a domestic violence and crisis response advocate and trainer.
- Deliver Public Safety with Fairness and Accountability
- Build and Strengthen Partnerships
- Protect Constitutional Rights and Guard Against Federal Overreach
- Advance Equal Justice for All
My years as a police officer and deputy sheriff give me credibility with law enforcement — credibility that I use to work with them to make good reforms. We’ve gotten real results in Ramsey County through hard conversations and focused collaboration. We’ve: Cut racial disparities in traffic stops by more than half; Reduced carjacking and auto theft to nation-leading levels; Utilizing restorative justice practices we’ve reduced youth recidivism; And brought gun violence down to an all time low.
In Ramsey county we've cut youth recidivism through a collaborative community accountability model. A prosecutor, defense attorney, police officer, and a community come together with the youth and their family to develop a support and accountability plan and make sure it is carried out. I'll bring this kind of innovative results driven work to Hennepin County. I'll also work to develop local community based supportive but secure placement options for youth who are acting out dangerously.
We need to be more collaborative, innovative and transparent.
We need to make sure people understand what we’re doing and why, and measure whether what we do really works.
We can expand mental‑health care, addiction diversion programs, invest in restorative justice, and second‑chance opportunities. We need to prioritize violent crime while also making sure we use proven strategies to fight things like auto and bike theft and retail theft.
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