Jim Schultz, board member of anti-abortion disinformation group, wins Minnesota AG Republican primary

Jim Schultz, a hedge fund manager who serves as a board member on an anti-abortion disinformation group and has never prosecuted a criminal case, fought off an attempted intra-party mutiny to win the Minnesota attorney general GOP primary Tuesday night.

CNN projected Schultz’s win at around 9:00 p.m. CST. As of 9:55 p.m., he leads with 54% of the vote.

The Republican Party of Minnesota endorsed Schultz at its party convention in May, which usually acts as the party’s de facto candidate selection process. However, second-place finisher and MyPillow general counsel Doug Wardlow continued his campaign anyway, calling Schultz and fellow opponent Dennis Smith “creatures of the swamp.”

Last month, the Minnesota Reformer first reported that Schultz serves as board member of the Minneapolis anti-abortion nonprofit Human Life Alliance. The HLA frequently compares pro-abortion beliefs to being pro-slavery, and the group frequently publishes false claims about abortion. One 2020 publication falsely claims that late-term abortions are never necessary for the life of the mother and that abortion increases risk of breast cancer, depression and mental health issues.

Schultz has flip-flopped on his position on abortion as a candidate. In June, he pledged to defend Doe v. Gomez, a 1995 state supreme court decision that acts as the state’s equivalent to the now-repealed U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision, despite his objections to the Doe decision. But at a candidate forum in March, he said as AG, he would “be the one going on offense” in pushing against abortion.

Schultz will face incumbent AG Keith Ellison (DFL) in the November general election.