KSTP Grades Minnesota Attorney General Campaign Ads

The television station evaluates recent political attack ads targeting Keith Ellison and Ron Schutz.

Updated on Oct. 24, 2026 in Elections

KSTP Grades Minnesota Attorney General Campaign Ads

KSTP utilized its Truth Test grading committee to assess the accuracy of television attack ads in the Minnesota attorney general race. The review scrutinized political advertisements produced by two separate political action committees.

Why it matters

Evaluations of campaign advertisements provide voters with context regarding the claims made by candidates and their supporting organizations. These grades offer a nonpartisan assessment of the factual accuracy behind television spot messaging.

The First Principles PAC ad received a grade of B, while the Alliance for a Better Minnesota ad earned a D-minus from the grading committee.

The players

Keith Ellison

He is the Minnesota Attorney General currently seeking re-election.

Ron Schutz

He is a candidate for Minnesota Attorney General.

KSTP

It is a television station that performs recurring evaluations of political campaign advertisements.

First Principles PAC

This is a political action committee that produced an attack ad targeting Keith Ellison.

Alliance for a Better Minnesota

This organization produced a television attack ad targeting Ron Schutz.

The details

The First Principles PAC ad centers on a meeting between Keith Ellison and individuals involved in the Feeding Our Future fraud case. Conversely, the ad from the Alliance for a Better Minnesota alleges that Ron Schutz defended insurance companies and supports cuts to Medicare.

October 24, 2026: KSTP published the results of its political ad evaluations.

Political Context

The Truth Test grading committee process serves as a standard mechanism for media watchdogs to provide accountability in political advertising. Critics often argue that such letter grades can be subjective or biased depending on how the grading committee interprets political rhetoric.

Voters can use these nonpartisan evaluations to better verify the accuracy of claims being broadcast in their television advertisements. Understanding these grades may assist residents in weighing the veracity of information presented by candidates and PACs before the upcoming election.

The takeaway

Voters should investigate the source and evidence behind campaign attack ads to differentiate between documented facts and political hyperbole. Checking these ads against independent evaluations can help residents identify potential distortions in election messaging.