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8-11-2026 6:21am
MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Five Candidates Compete to Become Hennepin County’s Next Top Prosecutor
Tom Akaolisa
Editor
Hennepin County voters are choosing two finalists from a five-candidate field in the race to succeed County Attorney Mary Moriarty, who is not seeking another term.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (August 11, 2026) Voters across Hennepin County are deciding Tuesday which two candidates will advance in the race to lead Minnesota’s largest county prosecutor’s office.
Five candidates are seeking the position currently held by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, who announced that she would not seek a second term.
The candidates are former federal prosecutor Anders Folk, state Rep. Cedrick Frazier, former Hennepin County prosecutor Diane Krenz, Ramsey County prosecutor Hao Nguyen and attorney Matt Pelikan.
Because the office is nonpartisan, party labels do not appear beside the candidates’ names on the ballot. The two candidates receiving the highest vote totals will advance to the November 3 general election.
Frazier received the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party endorsement, although voters are not required to participate in the DFL primary to vote in the county-attorney contest.
An office with broad authority
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office prosecutes felony crimes committed throughout the county. Its responsibilities also include juvenile cases, child-protection matters, civil litigation involving county government, victim services and legal advice for Hennepin County departments.
The office’s jurisdiction covers Minneapolis, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Bloomington, Maple Grove and dozens of other cities and communities.
The next county attorney will inherit an office that has been at the center of continuing public debates over violent-crime prosecution, police accountability, juvenile justice, diversion programs, sentencing, racial disparities and the treatment of people experiencing mental illness or substance-use disorders.
The prosecutor will also be responsible for managing a large public agency and determining how its attorneys exercise discretion in thousands of cases.
A referendum on prosecutorial direction
Moriarty took office in January 2023 after campaigning as a former chief public defender committed to changing the county’s approach to prosecution. Her tenure produced strong support from criminal-justice reform advocates and sustained criticism from law-enforcement leaders, victims’ families, state officials and some elected representatives.
Tuesday’s primary does not formally place Moriarty on the ballot, but the contest will help determine whether the office continues along a reform-oriented path or moves toward a different prosecutorial approach.
Each candidate has presented a different combination of courtroom experience, public-service history, management credentials and policy priorities.
Because the primary is nonpartisan, two candidates with similar political affiliations or philosophical positions could advance. The result will depend solely on the countywide vote totals.
Unofficial election results are expected after polls close at 8 p.m. Results must later be reviewed through the official county canvassing process before certification.
Election information and candidate background:
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