Five Hennepin County Attorney Candidates Make Case to Voters at LWV Forum

Early voting is underway for the Aug. 11 primary. One of the races that’s getting attention is the election for Hennepin County attorney.

Five candidates are running for the seat soon to be vacated by Mary Moriarty, who decided not to run for re-election.

All recently took part in a forum at Golden Valley City Hall hosted by the League of Women Voters.

The Hennepin County attorney sets priority for charging county criminal cases, oversees child protection cases and provides legal representation for county government. The office operates with a $92 million budget and more than 500 full-time employees.

Meet The Candidates

During the recent forum, each of the candidates introduced themselves during opening remarks.

Anders Folk is a former federal prosecutor who previously served as acting U.S. attorney for the District of Minnesota. His office signed the federal indictments that charged former officer Derek Chauvin with violating the civil rights of George Floyd. Folk began his legal career working under former Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar.

Cedrick Frazier, a labor attorney, represented House District 43A in the Minnesota House of Representatives, which includes New Hope and a majority of Crystal. Frazier secured the DFL Party endorsement for the nonpartisan seat.

Diane Krenz is a former prosecutor with four decades of experience working for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. Running as a nonpartisan candidate, Krenz said the office has “become politicized.” Krenz said she has “prosecuted almost every kind of case that’s on the books.”

Hao Nguyen, a refugee from Vietnam, is a former police officer who currently works as a prosecutor for the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office. “Now, more than ever we need experience at the table,” said Nguyen during his opening remarks.

Matt Pelikan, a private litigator, said he’s the only candidate “running outside the establishment.” “I’m running because I believe we have to have safety and justice,” said Pelikan.

Addressing Gun Violence

According to the League of Women Voters, the topic that generated the most questions from the public was gun violence. Each was asked how they would reduce it. The following are excerpts of each candidate’s responses of approximate similar length in the order they appeared.

Matt Pelikan

“It’s one where progressives need to get serious about prosecuting and holding the perpetrators of gun violence accountable. Two years ago, there was a man arrested with an illegal machine gun – he was released on a technicality – and two days later shot up a high school graduation. We cannot be serious about gun violence if we’re not serious about prosecuting the criminals who are perpetrating in our community. It will be one of the animating causes of my tenure as Hennepin County Attorney.”

Diane Krenz

“Part of that means that we reverse the policy of not charging cases that come out of traffic stops by suburban police officers. I’ve talked to several police officers recently who told me of cases where they not only have gotten huge amounts of drugs but they have gotten guns out and those cases are not being charged.”

Anders Folk

“Talking to our educators about risk signs so that they can do their best to protect their students from not only other students from possessing firearms, but how they can talk to their students about being safe at home. So the proactive piece is incredibly important. The reactive piece – we need to do enforcement in a strategic and effective way. I’ve spent my whole career doing that and I’m excited to bring that to the County Attorney’s Office.”

Cedrick Frazier

“We worked very hard at the legislature this past session to try and get things done on gun violence. But I can tell you, in my career, I was the lead author for the extreme risk protection order, which is our version of the red flag law here in our state, and that legislation has saved lives. We got the data and the receipts to prove that. I will continue to work in those spaces to do that.”

Hao Nguyen

“I am the person at the table who is actual doing the work. I am not talking about what I will do or what has been done. I am doing it right now. I also sued Glock with Attorney General Keith Ellison because they made their guns so easily equipped to make them zip guns. I am a person who is doing the work and I have the proof to do it and I will be doing it in Hennepin County.”

How To View the Forum

Candidates also fielded questions on the relationship between the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and law enforcement, possible changes to the office, and addressing consistency and fairness to plea bargains, among other questions.

You watch the forum in its entirety on the following YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynk8hdc4fL0 

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