Lori Swanson

Last update: May 11, 2008 - 9:09 PM

LORI SWANSON

Age: 41

Career: Minnesota attorney general, 2007-present (elected November 2006); Minnesota solicitor general, 2003-06; Minnesota deputy attorney general, 1999-2003; attorney, private legal practice, 1995-99.

Education: B.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison; J.D., William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul.

High-profile issues: Combating mortgage fraud, alleged investment scams targeting elderly, cell-phone billing practices.

High-profile points of contention: Tension over union organizing effort in the attorney general's office (she opposes it); staff turnover.

Excerpt from inauguration address, January 2007: "My mission is for the attorney general's office to fight for the rights of everyday people, and especially those without a voice.

"In my attorney general's office, no one will be so powerful they are above the law or so powerless they are beneath its protection. ...

"Above all, we will at all times endeavor to pursue justice in our work. President Teddy Roosevelt once said that justice does not mean staying neutral; rather, justice means fighting to take what's wrong and make it right. That is how I view justice too."

Governor: Tim Pawlenty
One of only a few prominent Republicans to win a competitive re-election contest in the Democratic sweep of 2006, Tim Pawlenty is widely seen as politically shrewd and naturally likable.

Minnesota's political giants: Learn more about the men and women who have shaped Minnesota's political history.