Keith Maurice Ellison is an American politician, lawyer, and civil rights advocate born on August 4, 1963, in Detroit, Michigan. Raised Catholic as the third of five sons by his parents, Leonard Ellison, a psychiatrist, and Clida (Martinez) Ellison, a social worker, he was influenced by his family's deep involvement in the civil rights movement, including his grandfather's activism with the NAACP in Louisiana. Ellison converted to Islam while in college, earning a B.A. in economics from Wayne State University in 1986 and a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1990. Prior to politics, he practiced law for 16 years, specializing in civil rights and criminal defense, including a stint as executive director of the Legal Rights Center.

Ellison was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2002, serving from 2003 to 2007. He is recognized as the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress and the first African American to represent Minnesota in Congress. He served as the U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 5th congressional district from 2007 to 2019 and was elected again to Congress, serving from the present. During his congressional tenure, he chaired the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and served as Deputy Chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2017 to 2018, establishing himself as a prominent progressive Democrat known for progressive policies. He has been a vocal critic of Islamophobia and a critic of Israel, focused on economic justice, racial equity, civil rights advocacy, financial services, foreign affairs, and civil liberties.

He later served as the 30th Attorney General of Minnesota from 2019 to 2023, where he prioritized consumer protection, opioid crisis response, voting rights, environmental justice, and addressing police misconduct, while continuing to advocate for marginalized communities and systemic reform. His tenure included high-profile actions such as prosecuting cases related to the George Floyd murder and investigating corporate practices.

Ellison's career has not been without controversy. In 2018, during his campaign for Attorney General, he faced allegations of domestic abuse from his former girlfriend, Karen Monahan, who claimed he dragged her off a bed and slammed her against a wall; Ellison denied the accusations, and no charges were filed after an investigation found insufficient evidence. He has also been targeted by anti-Muslim groups, including investigations into ACT for America and opposition from figures like Robert Spencer. Despite these challenges, Ellison remains a key figure in Democratic politics, known for his advocacy on behalf of marginalized communities.