Doug Wardlow, an attorney and former one-term Republican legislator from Eagan, said Wednesday that he's seeking a rematch with Attorney General Keith Ellison in next year's statewide election.

"Minnesotans deserve an Attorney General who will defend their fundamental rights while ensuring that those responsible for violence and lawlessness are brought swiftly to justice," Wardlow said in a prepared statement.

Ellison, a former six-term congressman from Minneapolis, defeated Wardlow in 2018 by a nearly 4-point margin. It was a contentious campaign that saw Ellison grappling with an allegation of domestic abuse from an ex-girlfriend and Wardlow contending with a high school classmate who said Wardlow bullied him for being gay.

Wardlow represented an Eagan-area district in the Minnesota House from 2011 to 2013. He has since done legal work for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian nonprofit that advocates for "religious freedom, sanctity of life, and marriage and family," according to its website.

Wardlow is also general counsel to Mike Lindell, the Minnesota pillow magnate who has staunchly stood by former President Donald Trump's discredited claims of a rigged presidential election.

"Doug Wardlow is a right-wing extremist who will do anything for political power," said state DFL Chairman Ken Martin.

Patrick Condon • 612-673-4413