Consumer fraud is a big problem in Minnesota. And it stands to get worse due to the stagnant national economy, income inequality, and the rising cost and necessity of college education. Demographic dynamics rapidly reshaping Minnesota, including increased immigration and the impending age wave, as well as a transformative shift toward using the Internet to transact commerce, might also mean that dishonest business practices will increase.

Minnesota's attorney general, Lori Swanson, has aggressively advocated for consumers in this challenging environment. In cases involving Accretive Health, Globe University, the Minnesota School of Business, debt buyers such as Bradstreet and Associates, and many others, the DFLer has diligently defended Minnesota consumers against abuses. Yet it's not just consumers she has protected — Swanson has also advocated on behalf of businesses in her work to tame "patent trolls" who stifle innovation.

For these efforts, among other accomplishments, Swanson deserves to be re-elected to a third term as Minnesota's chief legal officer.

Even Swanson's Republican opponent, state Sen. Scott Newman, acknowledged to the Star Tribune Editorial Board that the incumbent has an admirable record on consumer protection. But he voices a widespread concern that Swanson has de-emphasized her office's role in facilitating the prosecution of criminal cases, particularly in Greater Minnesota jurisdictions. If re-elected, Swanson needs to clarify her office's role in this vital function and be willing to reallocate resources if conditions merit.

Newman points as well to several other differences. Swanson, he claims, should have reined in Secretary of State Mark Ritchie's online voter registration plan, as well as Gov. Mark Dayton's bid to unionize child care providers and personal care assistants. And Swanson needs to act more forcefully to expedite new forms of mining in northern Minnesota, Newman believes.

In contrast, another legislative veteran, Andy Dawkins, a former DFL representative who is running for attorney general as the Green Party candidate, opposes opening the new mines as they are currently proposed. Because the state's attorney general sits on the state Executive Council that would approve nonferrous mineral leases, the attorney general's perspective is consequential. The wise course is to allow the environmental review process to guide this decision.

Lori Swanson

Dawkins, as well as Brandon Borgos, the Independence Party's candidate, also supports the legalization of marijuana beyond the currently limited medical use. Swanson does not favor further legalization.

If re-elected, Swanson must offer more leadership on the vexing issue of the Minnesota Sex Offenders Program. Her intervention to block the release of serial rapist Thomas Duvall was understandable, considering the severity of his crimes. But the program may be unconstitutional, which should equally alarm Swanson — and all Minnesotans.

On balance, while Swanson needs to bring the same energy she shows in consumer protection matters to the full range of her office's responsibilities, her experience and advocacy for everyday Minnesotans make her the best choice for attorney general.