MINNEAPOLIS — State Rep. Cedrick Frazier defeated former federal prosecutor Anders Folk in Tuesday’s election, becoming the first Black person elected Hennepin County attorney.
Frazier received 257,445 votes, or 50.6%, compared with Folk’s 249,145 votes, or 48.9%, according to unofficial election results. The margin was 8,300 votes.
Frazier, a DFL-endorsed lawmaker from New Hope, will succeed Mary Moriarty, who did not seek reelection. He is scheduled to be sworn in Jan. 4, 2027, becoming Hennepin County’s 29th county attorney.
In an election-night statement, Frazier credited a grassroots campaign that he said knocked on more than 200,000 doors, organized three public town hall meetings on gun violence and built a coalition of working-class residents across Hennepin County.
“This was a grassroots campaign powered by working-class people across this county,” Frazier said.
Check out: Mshale Black Ballot – Election results for Black candidates around Minnesota.
He said the election represented a call for changes in how the county approaches justice and public safety.
“This victory is a mandate, and the people have sent a crystal clear message: we need forward-looking change, and we will not return to a failed status quo,” Frazier said.
The election followed a closely contested campaign centered on violent crime, juvenile justice, police accountability and the relationship between prosecutors and communities of color.
Although the county attorney’s office is nonpartisan, Frazier received the DFL endorsement and support from Attorney General Keith Ellison, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar. Folk attracted support from Republicans as well as some Democrats.
At an Oct. 26 debate organized by Black Votes Matter Minnesota at Sanctuary Covenant Church in north Minneapolis, the candidates discussed public safety, accountability and rebuilding trust between the county attorney’s office and Black residents.
Frazier, a former Hennepin County public defender and New Hope City Council member, is serving his third term in the Minnesota House. He previously worked as legal counsel for Minneapolis Public Schools and is an attorney with Education Minnesota.
His campaign said he will announce a transition committee next week to oversee preparations for taking office, including staffing, community engagement and budget planning.
The Hennepin County attorney oversees an office of more than 500 employees responsible for prosecuting serious crimes, handling child protection and child support matters, and providing legal representation to county government.
Read Mshale’s coverage of the Oct. 26 Hennepin County attorney debate.
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