Paula Chesley is a regular contributor and lives in East Isles.
In mid-December, I sat down with the Hennepin County attorney candidates who had entered the race by our copy deadline of Dec. 15, 2025 for a series of 20-minute Zoom interviews. The only exception was Diane M. Krenz, who announced her candidacy near the deadline and did not respond to my interview request at the time. The interviews offer a fast, revealing look at each candidate’s background and priorities while also highlighting how much the county attorney’s office has changed, and how much is now being asked of it. The interviews have been edited for length and clarity. Responses are in alphabetical order.
Where do you live?
Anders Folk: East Harriet in Southwest Minneapolis
Cedrick Frazier: New Hope
Hao Nguyen: Regina in South Minneapolis
Matt Pelikan: Downtown Minneapolis
Francis Shen: Bryn Mawr in Minneapolis
What is your current position?
Folk: Attorney at Jones Day, focused on trial work and fraud investigations
Frazier: State representative and labor attorney with Education Minnesota
Nguyen: Division director for the Adult Criminal Trial and Appellate divisions at the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office
Pelikan: Attorney and partner at Madel PA, focused on civil litigation
Shen: Law professor and faculty member in the graduate program in neuroscience at the University of Minnesota
What is your philosophy for dealing with crime?
Folk: We need to focus resources on the biggest public safety issues. I call it a common-sense approach and a public safety-first mindset. We should be strategic and focus on the people creating the greatest concern, whether violent crime, property crime, repeat offenders or something else. We also need prevention and intervention. The goal is not to charge as many people as possible or jail people as long as possible. The goal is to keep people out of the system when we can. A third focus is leadership. The county attorney should help lead the public safety ecosystem, including law enforcement, community leaders, faith leaders, educators and others.
Frazier: We need a system that holds people accountable, and we need prevention and intervention. As a country, we do well with the punitive process. Where we fall short is rehabilitation, intervention and prevention. If we did those well, we would have safer communities. At a recent gun violence town hall, we highlighted community work and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office efforts around extreme risk protection orders. We did that because we are at a deadlock at the Capitol on gun safety legislation, so we focused on what is working. Public safety and gun safety are not rocket science. We fail to be deliberate and diligent about how we invest.
Nguyen: My philosophy is public safety-focused. I have been a prosecutor for 15 years. Before that, I was a police officer for five years and a corrections officer before that. I have spent my entire professional life in this field. At the core is fairness, fairness to the defendant, to victims and to society. Prosecutors are called ministers of justice. We have to ask, “Is it just to charge this person? To seek prison? Or should we mitigate and offer a different route?” We can dismiss cases, charge more serious offenses and bring aggravating factors. I ask, “What does justice look like? Are we achieving public safety while being fair?” That balance is hard. If someone did something monstrous, they may need prison. But they are not monsters. The Constitution and human dignity still require fair treatment. We can hold people accountable while treating them with dignity and respect.
Pelikan: It is important to think about the scope of the county attorney’s role in the broader civic system. My view is that equality under the law is fundamental. When a case comes to your desk, you apply the law equally and fairly. The office also has a less formal role in going upstream and downstream. Upstream means intervening to stop crime before it happens, including initiatives for youth and young adults to interrupt cycles before they come to the office after a crime. Downstream means working within the system so that after someone is charged, convicted or pleads, the system helps them get back on track. It is better for them and for society if people can gain skills and counseling and have a better path. Outside the office itself, my philosophy is that safety is a fundamental right. The ability to have physical safety and property safe from crime, vandalism, theft and destruction is essential to modern life. We need to take crime seriously.
Shen: My philosophy starts with the question, “Why did you do what you did?” Then we do everything we can to make sure it does not happen again. That is the consequentialist approach. Prevention through prediction is better than conviction. Traditionally, we think the prosecutor’s job starts at arrest or arraignment, after the harm. The prosecutor is part of a larger system that should be preventing harm in the first place. We also need the retributivist approach, where punishment signals a violation of laws and norms. So it is a combination of consequentialist and retributivist approaches.
How would your tenure look similar to or different from Mary Moriarty’s?
Folk: Day 1, the Moriarty era ends. My first priority is to work collaboratively with public servants across the county, including police chiefs, probation officers, judges, prosecutors, the defense bar, faith leaders and educators. I have done that work as a federal prosecutor and as acting U.S. attorney. One immediate change would be a proactive approach to building collaboration across the public safety ecosystem. I am a collaborator and I am excited to do that work.
Frazier: My focus will be prevention and intervention along with accountability. I have established relationships from my work as a New Hope City Council member, a legislator and in the general counsel’s office for Minneapolis Public Schools. Those relationships will help me navigate the office. Being county attorney is one slice of the pie. There are many other slices, and we have to work together to create safe communities. I also pay attention to budgets. The state forecast shows deficits in the next four to five years, and that will affect the county. My focus is how we preserve programming that keeps communities safe, and how we connect the dots across government.
Nguyen: It would look very different, though I want to be clear I am running for something. First, I am a bridge-builder. In my current leadership role, I check my ego at the door. We should do what best serves public safety and the people of Hennepin County. If my ideas are wrong, we should choose the best idea, wherever it comes from, and move forward together. A county attorney can be bright and passionate, but if people do not trust them and they cannot build bridges or communicate, nothing gets done and the community suffers.
Pelikan: It would be different because I start by embracing safety as important and by working with safety partners, especially law enforcement. Safety is part of justice. I think Moriarty has made disastrous decisions in individual prosecutions and has broken the coalition needed for reform. We need a clean break and a new direction. At the same time, I agree with her on one thing. We do not have a successful model to go back to. I worry we will be offered a false choice: double down on Moriarty’s approach or go back to the old way. We need to continue to innovate and keep learning to make the system more just.
Shen: It would look different because I would have strong relationships with law enforcement and foster collaboration among community, law enforcement, the prosecutor’s office and other agencies. One similarity is that my work focuses on better responses informed by brain science, including emerging adults ages 18 to 25. I want a focus on individualization and precision in sentencing based on as much information as we can gather about the individual, while optimizing safety. Much of prosecution today is a mass-production system guided by sentencing guidelines. We do not often ask “Why did you do it?” One example is a first-time DUI. Standard procedures do not distinguish between a one-off bad decision and a longer pattern where the person was not caught earlier. A pilot in Duluth and Hennepin County called All Rise uses screening and individualized assessment to help determine the right response.
What role should the county attorney’s office play in the opioid and addiction crisis?
Folk: The role should be holistic. When I worked at the Department of Justice, meeting families who lost loved ones to opioids was powerful. The county attorney should be a public safety advocate and a voice for opportunities to get people help. Addiction is a major public safety issue. There is also an enforcement component, targeting traffickers who bring opioids into our communities and prey on vulnerable people, including people in encampments. We should push for help and uplift people when possible, and be clear that trafficking opioids will bring accountability.
Frazier: The office plays a big role because it impacts public safety, but we should not treat addiction as a crime. We need intervention and prevention. We should work with law enforcement and community partners to keep drugs off the streets and to support people once they are addicted. We can address harm while also ensuring individuals get what they need to break the cycle.
Nguyen: The office plays a huge role. We should see addiction not as a crime but as a symptom of drug sales and sellers polluting our community. We should prosecute sellers and traffickers who prey on people when they are vulnerable. In Ramsey County, we shifted from charging sex workers to targeting traffickers and abusers. We should do the same with addiction. Growing up poor in a trailer park, I saw many levels of society. No one wants to be addicted, lose everything and be consumed by it. We should focus on the people who provide the addiction.
Pelikan: Untreated addiction is one of the greatest challenges in our public spaces. The county attorney has to be serious and realistic about helping people reclaim their lives. People in severe addiction will often choose the drug over shelter and family. Sometimes there have to be involuntary solutions for people to reclaim their lives. Abandoning people to the streets is not just or compassionate. We also have to support the broader community that wants to live and work here. You have to be cautious with involuntary solutions, but I have seen people who need court intervention when no one is willing to act.
Shen: The office should play a major role. One priority is fighting a war on addiction instead of a war on drugs. If you do not address demand, supply-side efforts will struggle. We have fought supply-side wars for decades and still have these issues. Advances in neuroscience, including at the University of Minnesota, can help us respond better. The county attorney can build collaborations, support prevention and improve system responses to reduce recidivism. The office should also play a large role in mental health responses.
How do you distinguish yourself from the other candidates?
Folk: I believe I am the only candidate with significant experience prosecuting major cases and leading an office of prosecutors. At the Department of Justice, I had the opportunity to run the U.S. attorney’s office for the District of Minnesota. I have also done criminal defense pro bono for people who cannot afford representation. That balance helps me understand the public safety imperative while maintaining empathy for the humanity of the system. I also serve as a trustee on the University of Minnesota Foundation, a board member for YMCA of the North and board chair of Veterans Defense Project.
Frazier: I have served at multiple levels, including the Planning Commission, New Hope City Council and the Legislature, and I have worked in education. Those are all components of the county attorney’s job. You have to work with elected officials at all levels and connect resources. As co-chair of Ways and Means, I spend a lot of time on budgets and impacts from federal to state to county to local. I am also from the South Side of Chicago, and I come from a community that has lived disparities and inequities. I will speak about criminal justice with a different perspective rooted in experience.
Nguyen: The county attorney should understand the people we serve. I am the only candidate who is a refugee. My family came from Vietnam when I was nine. We lived in a trailer park, we were on food stamps, and I did not speak English. I know what it is like to be a refugee and what it takes to build a life here. Many people who interface with the office have limited resources and face hard choices. For me, people are not just numbers on a docket. I am also the only candidate who has been a police officer and a corrections officer, and the only candidate who currently manages county attorney divisions at a high level. I have also served as board chair of Asian Women United of Minnesota for 10 years, volunteered with the Jeremiah Program and served on the Children’s Hospital Foundation Board.
Pelikan: I have the right experience. I am a litigator and I am familiar with our legal system. I have spent my career building coalitions, which is an essential informal role of the office. I also believe we need common sense that prioritizes results rather than ideological trench warfare that has damaged coalitions for reform and safety. I worry we are offered a false choice between second-guessing law enforcement and prioritizing compassion over accountability, or returning to a playbook that failed before George Floyd. Both are wrong. We need to reform while supporting law enforcement and embracing public safety.
Shen: If you want a litigator, you have other strong options. If you want an innovator, you have one option. The question is what experience you want. The system is not broken, it is obsolete. We are not individualized enough, recidivism is a problem and we do not empower crime victims enough. The job is the general manager of justice, setting culture, hiring and retaining great staff and building trust with law enforcement, the community and government. In sports, general managers increasingly come from analytics and innovation, not former players. That is how I see myself. I will bring innovations rooted in neuroscience and AI. I taught Minnesota’s first Law and AI course and worked on ethical guidelines for AI in law. Another policy priority is elder justice, including preventing fraud and abuse through community partnerships and prosecution when needed.
What does your approach to juvenile offenders look like?
Folk: My approach is holistic. As a father of four, I do not like the idea of putting kids in custody. But we need accountability and consequences for the most significant juvenile offenders, especially for violent crimes. We also need to keep kids out of the system whenever we can.
Frazier: First, prevention. We need to keep young people off pathways to trouble. Young people are prone to getting into things if they do not have access to other avenues, resources and opportunities. I grew up with before- and after-school programs that kept me out of trouble. I will work with community partners, leaders, elected officials and law enforcement to create those spaces. We also need to examine where we place youth when we must intervene outside the home, ensuring those spaces are secure and provide intensive resources. Hennepin County recently opened a youth stabilization center in Phillips. I look forward to visiting and learning more.
Nguyen: There is no denying carjackings and violent crimes by juveniles. What is not discussed enough is that many of these youth are a danger to society and to themselves. We owe them a responsibility to prosecute. I have spoken with parents who say they need help and do not want their child arrested and then immediately released. If a 16- or 17-year-old commits a violent crime such as a carjacking, I will hold them accountable, and that may involve incarceration. I will also focus on what happens after, including resources and support so they can turn the corner and not do it again.
Pelikan: We should understand brain development and use it appropriately, but we have sometimes misapplied “science” and “research.” Many people experience adversity and do not become criminals. Using adversity to excuse antisocial behavior misses the mark. Accountability matters, and we must assess danger to the community. The county attorney’s office is the primary office that protects residents from destructive behavior. Whether juvenile or young adult, there are times someone needs to be separated from society for a period because they are an ongoing danger. Equality before the law is fundamental.
Shen: Swift, certain and fair. That phrase is not mine. It is a proven set of techniques showing that behavior change is driven by interventions that are swift, certain and fair. Youth are unlikely to weigh penalties in the moment, but they may respond if they believe they will be caught and it will happen quickly. That requires finding the individuals and acting fast, and it requires fairness. Clearance rates matter. The data I have reviewed is concerning. Homicide clearance is about 67 percent. Rape and robbery are around 20 percent. Auto theft is around 1 percent. If we cannot identify who did the harm, we cannot respond in a swift, certain and fair way. I co-lead an emerging adult diversion program with the Boston district attorney in Suffolk County for ages 18 to 25. It is individualized, focused on responsibility and accountability and helps connect young people to support. It improves outcomes for individuals and the community.
What is a belief you have changed your mind about in the last few years, and what caused the change?
Folk: First, cannabis. Watching Minnesota legalize it has been eye-opening, especially seeing people who benefit from medical cannabis. I had no background in it, but for some conditions it provides real relief, and we should be more open-minded. Second, ghost guns. As 3D printing and manufacturing evolve, ghost guns pose a growing danger. We need to think proactively about how technology changes will affect public safety. It is not a niche issue. It is a core issue.
Frazier: My perspective has evolved over time. When I was younger, I may have seen criminal justice as black and white: someone does something, the system intervenes and applies consequences. What I did not fully understand was how to build a rehabilitative and restorative system. People come home from prison. We have to create pathways back into the community. My view has shifted because of lived experiences and conversations with people impacted by the system. Leaders should be willing to take in new information and adjust course.
Nguyen: Party politics has become increasingly polarized. What I have seen is that most people want the same things: to live freely and safely, support their families and be good neighbors. That is why I am running. Public safety has no politics. Everyone deserves the right to be safe, secure and to thrive.
Pelikan: Living downtown and walking to work, I have come to believe we need to be more serious about intervening with people facing unaddressed addiction and mental health crises to help them and protect society. I am tired of surrendering public spaces to untreated addiction. I do not think that is compassionate. That is a view I have changed.
Shen: I have changed my mind about whether the criminal justice system can change. For a long time I thought we were stuck, but I have seen small breaks in the dam. Change is possible. Not necessarily quickly, but it can happen. I would not be running if I did not believe that, and I am not sure I believed it a few years ago.
