Anders Folk grew up in Hopkins and attended the University of Minnesota, where he earned his undergraduate degree and completed two years of law school before joining the United States Marine Corps. He returned to Minnesota to finish law school and briefly worked for then-Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar, but was activated by the military months after the September 11 attacks.
As an active-duty service member, Folk worked as a criminal defense attorney within the Marine Corps, and later served as a military prosecutor. He did not see combat. He came back to Minnesota and was hired as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, where he spent five years investigating and charging cases involving gangs, organized crime, terrorism, fraud and violent crimes, among others.
Folk then went into private practice in 2011 for nearly eight years, but later returned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and was appointed the acting U.S. Attorney in 2021 by President Joe Biden. He led the office during the civil trial of Derek Chauvin and three other Minneapolis police officers who murdered George Floyd in 2020. He stepped down from that role, and moved to Washington D.C. to work as senior counsel on litigation and policy matters for Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa Monaco, advising Monaco and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Folk told Sahan Journal he joined the race because Hennepin County needs an experienced prosecutor with a “public safety first mindset.” He is endorsed by former U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Andy Luger, as well as Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, three Minneapolis City Council members, and former Hennepin County judges Peter Cahill and Martha Holton Dimick.
Sahan Journal asked the county attorney candidates several questions about why they’re running for the office, and their priorities for the post. Read Folk’s responses in his own words below.
Why are you running for Hennepin County attorney?
Because Hennepin County deserves an experienced prosecutor and leader who will work every day for everyone in Hennepin County.
Because we need a change of direction at the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and because I believe in and am committed to public service and public safety.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office needs an experienced prosecutor and proven leader to run this office. As a U.S. Marine, a former acting U.S. attorney and career federal prosecutor, I have the leadership record and courtroom experience that no other candidate in this race can claim.
Everyone in Hennepin County deserves to be safe, to receive equal justice, and to be treated with dignity, no matter who you are, what you look like, or where you live. I have the experience to make this happen.
I am a lifelong Minnesotan, a career federal prosecutor, and a former senior official in the U.S. Department of Justice during the Biden administration.
While leading the U.S. Attorney's Office, I signed the indictment charging Derek Chauvin with violating George Floyd's civil rights.
Over two decades of legal and public service experience, I have handled complex federal cases involving violent crime, domestic terrorism, public corruption, large-scale fraud, and civil rights violations. During law school, I joined the Marine Corps, and I worked at the Hennepin County Attorney’s office in the juvenile division under Amy Klobuchar. My first job out of law school was working as a military lawyer as a prosecutor and defense lawyer before going on to serve as an assistant U.S. attorney in Minnesota.
I am ready to lead this office forward with experience, compassion and humility on day one.
What are your priorities for the county attorney's office?
Please go to www.andersfolk.com for a full list of my priorities and my plan for 100 Days of Action. You can learn more about my priorities here and check out my 100 Days of Action plan to get to work on day one here.
My priorities are built on four key ideas.
First, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office will create a Task Force to investigate and prosecute violations of Minnesota law by federal agents during Operation Metro Surge.
Second, the office will strategically focus on violent and repeat offenders to ensure every community in Hennepin County feels safe and protected.
Third, we will be data-driven in how we intervene to prevent harm and keep communities safe, especially the most vulnerable among us. We will be fair in how we address juvenile justice and crime victims.
And fourth, we will be collaborative and lead our many public safety partners across Hennepin County, including police, educators, faith leaders, mayors, city council members, and community leaders.
What do you plan to do differently from your predecessor?
My approach to leadership, collaboration, and policymaking will be fundamentally different from day one.
First, our many public safety partners across Hennepin County, including police, educators, faith leaders, mayors, city council members, and community leaders will have a seat at the table and will help us focus our resources.
Second, we will lift up the voices of crime victims and ensure they are heard. We are creating a Hennepin County Crime Victims bill of rights to ensure our crime victims and their families are heard.
Third, we will hold people accountable and ensure repeat and violent offenders are not simply released back to the community without consequence. Our priority is to protect the people of Hennepin County.
What racial and socio-economic disparities in the criminal justice system have you identified, and how will you address them as county attorney?
The County Attorney’s Office has a crucial role to play in delivering justice for everyone and helping bridge racial disparities, most immediately when it comes to combating and preventing crime.
Hennepin County accounts for about 22% of the state's population but roughly 44% of its violent crime.
Across Minnesota, the rate of criminal offenses against Black residents is about 9.5 times higher than what is committed against the lowest group rate.
Homicide rates for Black Minnesotans and American Indian Minnesotans are each more than 10 times the rate for white Minnesotans.
The communities most impacted by crime are communities of color -- and one way to combat crime is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. I am committed to expanding our county’s use of prevention and intervention work to disrupt cycles of violence before they escalate.
And as a federal prosecutor, I have worked side-by-side with city and county leaders to support successful prevention and intervention techniques like Group Violence Intervention that focus on strategic enforcement. I am excited at the opportunity to expand that work.
How can the office change practices in civil court matters to improve services to the public and address disparities?
I think the first and best step will be to conduct listening sessions with members of the public who receive services and to hear first-hand how the office can best improve services and reduce disparities in how the County Attorney provides services. I am committed to ensuring the County Attorney’s office is accessible and working for our most vulnerable and often unheard communities.