Hennepin County Sheriff Pat McGowan, a Republican, endorsed former DFL Party Chair Mike Erlandson for Congress. Erlandson is one of seven Democrats running in Minnesota's Fifth District, which includes Minneapolis and several suburbs. McGowan says Erlandson is the best candidate because he has been a friend to law enforcement when he worked for Congressman Martin Sabo, who is retiring. McGowan also criticized Keith Ellison, the DFL endorsed candidate, for not working with law enforcement when he was a state legislator and for criticizing the police department when allegations of misconduct come up. Ellison called McGowan's criticism unfair. He says he's authored several bills dealing with public safety in the Legislature and is proud of his work to work against alleged police brutality.