These are the priorities Dave ran on in the August 2026 DFL primary for Attorney General. That race is over. He still argues for every one of them, and the research on this site is where the arguments get tested against the data. See the research →
Photo: Dave Madgett • Gooseberry RiverMinnesota faces a fraud crisis. from Feeding Our Future to systemic Medicaid and childcare fraud. The AG's office must pursue fraud relentlessly, regardless of political connections.
The office should stand up a dedicated Fraud Enforcement Division with real prosecutorial teeth. not a task force that meets quarterly, but a permanent division with dedicated prosecutors, investigators, and data analysts. He'll partner with county attorneys to fill enforcement gaps in rural counties, use proactive data analytics to detect fraud patterns before they become billion-dollar scandals, and publish quarterly enforcement reports so Minnesotans can see exactly what the office is doing.
Identity theft, predatory lending, price gouging, and deceptive business practices hurt Minnesota families every day. As a consumer credit law pioneer, The office should expand its consumer protection capacity and prosecute scams targeting seniors, veterans, and working families.
He'll hire consumer law practitioners with real courtroom experience, create an Elder Fraud Strike Force for fast-tracked prosecution of financial exploitation, modernize complaint processing so reports trigger real investigations, and bring nearly 20 years of hands-on consumer law expertise to the office.
The AG is the state's chief legal officer. not a partisan operative. The office should audit state spending in the open, enforce the public records laws, investigate waste across state agencies, and account for taxpayer dollars no matter which party controls the legislature.
Accountability starts with transparency. It should publish regular reports on state spending, enforce the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, and investigate waste across every state agency. Both parties will be held to the same standard.
Minnesotans deserve to feel safe. While criminal prosecution rests primarily with county attorneys, the AG's office can lead on organized crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and cold case initiatives.
It should use every tool Minnesota Statutes chapter 8 already gives it to protect communities statewide. He'll partner with county attorneys as a force multiplier. not as a power grab, but to fill gaps where local resources are insufficient, especially in rural Minnesota.
Every Minnesotan's constitutional rights must be defended. equally, consistently, and without political calculation. It should protect individual liberty, property rights, due process, and freedom of expression for every Minnesotan.
The AG's office should defend rights rather than picking winners. The office should protect constitutional rights for everyone, without exception. not just those whose politics align with whoever holds the office.
The AG's office has become a platform for partisan grandstanding and national political ambitions. Dave pledges to end politically-motivated lawsuits, stop using the office to advance a party agenda, and restore the office to its constitutional purpose: enforcing the law for all of Minnesota.
Dave answers to the people of Minnesota, not special interests. He has no national donors to please. He has no ambitions for governor or senator. He has one job: protect the people of Minnesota.
| Issue | David Madgett (DFL) | Typical Partisan AG |
|---|---|---|
| Fraud | Dedicated Fraud Enforcement Division. Prosecute all fraud regardless of who's connected. | Selective enforcement. Political allies get a pass. |
| Lawsuits | Sue when there's a legal basis. Not for headlines. | File politically-motivated suits to build a national profile. |
| Accountability | Audit both parties. Taxpayer dollars aren't partisan. | Only investigate the opposing party's spending. |
| Independence | No party boss. No national donors. No higher ambitions. | Answers to party leadership and national fundraising apparatus. |
| Consumer Protection | 19 years of hands-on consumer law experience. | Consumer protection as campaign talking points, not practice. |