Dennis Smith drops out of Minnesota attorney general race

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Republican Attorney General candidate Dennis Smith has dropped his plan to run in the August primary.

Smith, a former legislator, tweeted his decision to drop out Tuesday night. That was several hours after Doug Wardlow announced that he’ll run in the primary after losing the Republican endorsement to Jim Schultz at the party’s convention last weekend.

Smith said he now believes, given the party’s endorsement of Schultz, that the GOP can beat Democratic incumbent Attorney General Keith Ellison. His decision sets up a primary between Schultz and Wardlow, who was the party’s nominee in 2018.