Ron Schutz

Ron Schutz was born in Adrian, Minnesota. He served in the U.S. Army. He graduated from Adrian Public High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Marquette University and a law degree from the University of Minnesota. His career experience includes working as an attorney at law.[1]

Schutz has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]

Center of the American Experiment

Tee It Up for The Troops

St. Thomas Law School

Minnesota State Judicial Selection Commission

YMCA of the North

Guthrie Theater

Minnesota Law Review

University of Minnesota Law Alumni Association

Northwest Suburbs Cable Communication Commission

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a lifelong Minnesotan, husband, father, veteran, and one of America's top lawyers. I was raised on a dairy farm and attended Marquette University on an Army ROTC Scholarship. I attended the University of Minnesota Law school and upon graduation served four years in the Army JAG Corps stationed with the 7th Infantry Division. I was a defense lawyer during the first half of my service and a prosecutor during the last half.

After leaving the military I entered private practice with most of my career at a 200 lawyer litigation firm where from 2019-2024 I was the Chairman of the firm.

I have frequently been recognized as one the top lawyers in the country. In 2024 and 2025 I was named to Forbes’ list of America’s Top 200 Lawyers. For over two decades I have been included on the list of Minnesota Super Lawyers and many years have been listed among the top ten Super Lawyers in the state.

I have been extensively involved in community and public affairs. I am the former chair and a current board member of the Center of the American Experiment and a member of the Board of Directors of Tee It Up for The Troops.

I am married to my high school sweetheart, and we have three adult children. I have run several marathons and triathlons and enjoy hunting and other outdoor adventure activities. I have trekked to Mount Everest Base Camp, Machu Picchu, and the Refugio on Mt. Cotopaxi. I have also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and the Gran Paradiso (Italian Alps).

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Tackling Crime.

Minnesota families deserve safe communities. Unfortunately, violent crime and property crime remain unacceptably high.

Homicides are rising in Minneapolis. In 2023, there were 72 murders, and in 2024 the number climbed to 76. While many major U.S. cities have seen double-digit decreases in homicide rates, Minneapolis has not.

Carjackings are a growing threat. From August 1, 2023 through July 31, 2024, there were 429 carjacking incidents in Minnesota. In 265 of these crimes, assailants used a firearm, and many incidents occurred in suburban communities.

Property crimes are out of control. Often hundreds of vehicles have been vandalized in a single night in Minneapolis.Fighting Fraud

A massive culture of fraud has taken hold and infested our one-party controlled state government that has cost Minnesota taxpayers Billions of dollars. Instead of addressing this crisis, the current Attorney General has been willfully blind to it. In fact, in December of 2021 Keith Ellison met with several of the to be indicted and convicted defendants in the infamous and sprawling Feeding Our Future fraud scandal. Astoundingly, he said he would help them. You can learn more details about that meeting here:

https://www.americanexperiment.org/feeding-our-future-keith-ellison-caught-on-tape/

The Feeding Our Future fraud scandal is just the one of many under Keith Ellison's watch.Protecting Girls' and Women's Sports

The current Attorney General has pushed policies that allow biological males to compete in girls’ and women's sports. This is unfair and unsafe. It takes away opportunities that women and girls have fought hard to achieve.

As Attorney General, I will defend fairness and protect the integrity of girls’ and women’s sports.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Supporting Our Law Enforcement Officers

Law enforcement officers feel under attack, making it harder for our cities and suburbs to recruit and retain the officers we need. Anti-police rhetoric and “defund the police” movements have made Minnesota less safe.

As Attorney General, I will stand with law enforcement, restore respect for those who protect our communities, and ensure officers have the resources and support they need.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

The Attorney General’s Office is unlike any other state entity because it sits at the intersection of law, government, and the public interest. Here are some of the key areas of responsibility that make it uniquely important:

Chief legal officer for the state. Sets statewide legal positions, represents the state, its agencies, and officials in court, and defends state laws—often shaping how statutes are interpreted statewide.

Independent constitutional mandate. Elected separately the Minnesota AG has an independent democratic mandate and professional ethics duties—giving the office credibility beyond day-to-day politics.

Civil enforcement across government. Brings actions involving Medicaid fraud, wage theft, public corruption, environmental violations, and nonprofits/charities oversight—areas where state capacity and remedies are strongest.

Consumer-protection powerhouse. Investigates and prosecutes fraud, deceptive practices, data/privacy abuses, robocalls, charities misconduct, and healthcare scams; recovers restitution and civil penalties; runs complaint mediation for residents.

Advisor and watchdog to government. Issues legal opinions, reviews contracts/settlements, ensures agencies comply with open-government, procurement, and ethics laws—preventing problems before they become scandals.

Parens patriae authority. Can sue on behalf of the public’s welfare (e.g., consumer protection, antitrust, environmental harms), aggregating diffuse harms that private suits often can’t reach.

The attorney general often sets policy priorities for law enforcement. For example, a state's attorney general may decide to dedicate extra resources to combat human trafficking. Are there certain areas of law enforcement that you would emphasize?

Minnesota has a fraud problem that our current Attorney General has ingnored.

More specifically, a massive culture of fraud has taken hold and infested our one-party controlled state government that has cost Minnesota taxpayers Billions of dollars. Instead of addressing this crisis, the current Attorney General has been willfully blind to it. In fact, in December of 2021 Keith Ellison met with several of the to be indicted and convicted defendants in the infamous and sprawling Feeding Our Future fraud scandal. Astoundingly, he said he would help them. You can learn more details about that meeting here: https://www.americanexperiment.org/feeding-our-future-keith-ellison-caught-on-tape/

The Feeding Our Future fraud scandal is just the one of many under Keith Ellison's watch. We also have the Autism Services Fraud scandal, the Housing Stabilization Fraud scandal, the Evergreen Recovery Medicaid Fraud scandal, and, unfortunately, certainly more to come.

I will make fighting fraud and protecting taxpayer dollars a top priority and take aggressive steps to stop the fraud before it starts.

A state's attorney general has many responsibilities. Which of those do you personally consider the most important?

All of those listed in the previous answer.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My parents. Farming was hard and we went through lean times. But they persevered and never gave up. They also stressed the importance of education. We had a lot of books around our house and I became a voracious reader at a very early age.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

For the office of Attorney General, integrity and respect for the rule of law are the most important characteristics.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Protecting Minnesotans.

What legacy would you like to leave?

The I had courage to do the right thing.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The assassination of JFK.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I grew up on a dairy farm so my first job was doing various chores from the time I was quite young. I have distinct memories of helping around the family farm before I started school. That job continued until I went to college.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Bible. So much wisdom and guidance.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Indiana Jones.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

My golf game. I never played golf growing up and it is a tough sport to take up later in life.

What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

Along with my high school sweetheart, raising three accomplished children.