Cedrick Frazier has set out his case to become the next Hennepin County Attorney, promising a tougher focus on public safety while seeking to rebuild trust between the prosecutor’s office and local law enforcement.
The Minnesota state representative is facing former federal prosecutor Anders Folk in November’s non-partisan election. Both candidates advanced from the August primary, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s candidate records. ([candidates.sos.mn.gov](https://candidates.sos.mn.gov/CandidateFilingResults.aspx?candidateid=0&county=0&executive=True&federal=True&judicial=False&level=2&office=0&party=0&representative=True&senate=True&title=County+Attorney))
Frazier’s vision for the Hennepin County Attorney’s office
Frazier said he would not seek a return to what he described as a failed pre-George Floyd status quo, but would instead combine accountability with prevention and rehabilitation.
He wants to establish a victims and survivors advisory board to help shape policy, while directing more support towards young people who have committed offences but may still be diverted from a lifetime in the criminal justice system.
“If we’ve got anyone that’s harming a community, there should be accountability for that, and that includes incarceration,” Frazier said.
At the same time, he argued that preventing violence before it occurs should remain a central responsibility of the county attorney’s office. He also said wage theft should be treated as a crime, arguing that unpaid wages can destabilise families and contribute to wider community safety problems.
Frazier said relations between the current prosecutor’s office and law enforcement had deteriorated, with disagreements increasingly playing out in public.
“My staff, myself, are gonna be there as a way of support, not surprises,” he said.
He said his previous work on public safety legislation in the Minnesota Legislature had already given him relationships with police and other agencies that he could use immediately if elected. He also pointed to his involvement in legislation supporting investigations into non-fatal shootings, saying that solving those cases could prevent retaliation and further violence.
Frazier grew up on Chicago’s South Side and has described witnessing homicide, drug use and gang violence as a child. He later moved to Minnesota to attend the University of Minnesota-Morris, where he played football, before completing a master’s degree in urban studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
His legal career has included work as a Hennepin County public defender, in the general counsel’s office of Minneapolis Public Schools and as a labour lawyer representing educators. He has served in the Minnesota Legislature on public safety and judiciary committees.
Frazier’s position on federal immigration operations
The candidate has also drawn a clear distinction between himself and Folk over whether Minnesota authorities should pursue cases involving federal immigration officers.
Frazier said he was in the community after Renée Good and Alex Pretti were shot during the federal immigration operation known as Operation Metro Surge. He said residents had asked how those responsible could avoid consequences.
“If you come into our state, and you violate the laws, you are also under the jurisdiction of the county attorney, and we can prosecute and charge those cases,” he said.
Frazier said a Hennepin County Attorney’s office under his leadership would assess the available evidence and bring charges where it could prove a breach of Minnesota law beyond reasonable doubt.
His comments come as Minnesota officials continue to challenge the federal government over access to evidence from the shootings. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, the state and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension sued federal agencies in March, saying material relevant to the investigations had been withheld. ([hennepinattorney.org](https://www.hennepinattorney.org/news/news/2026/March/federal-lawsuit))
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said on October 22 that federal authorities were again refusing to share evidence relating to the deaths of Good and Pretti. The Associated Press has reported that investigators still do not have access to some evidence, including clothing, a mobile phone and interview recordings. ([ag.state.mn.us](https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/10/22_Metro-Surge.asp))
Frazier said there was “absolutely daylight” between him and Folk on the issue, underlining a contest that is also being fought over the future direction of the Hennepin County prosecutor’s office.
