Aspiring GOP lawmaker with six facial piercings took plea deal over domestic attack on ex-fiancée

By RACHEL BOWMAN, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 15:46, 18 May 2026 | Updated: 15:50, 18 May 2026 A Republican Minnesota state senate candidate was previously charged with domestic assault after his ex-fiancée claimed he slammed a car door on her legs and strangled her, records show. Aaron Brutger, 42, is the GOP-endorsed candidate for the Minnesota Senate District 13 seat. Court documents obtained by the Daily Mail showed that in 2009, when Brutger was 26, he was arrested for allegedly attacking his ex, who was identified in the filing by the initials APK. Police were called to the couple's home for a domestic assault report shortly before 8am on December 30, 2009. The two allegedly got into an argument earlier that morning and the woman told police Brutger followed her after she went out to her car. She said she was sitting in the vehicle with her legs hanging out when Brutger allegedly slammed the car door into her legs, causing her pain, according to the court document.  '[Brutger] then grabbed her, pulled her out of the car, and directed her back into the residence,' the filing stated. 'Once inside, [Brutger] got behind [his ex], put his arm around her throat and applied pressure, causing her to lose consciousness.' Republican Minnesota state senate candidate Aaron Brutger, 42, was previously arrested for allegedly attacking his ex-fiancée Brutger is the GOP-endorsed candidate for the Minnesota Senate District 13 seat (pictured with outgoing State Senator Jeff Howe) Brutger was charged with domestic assault for the incident, but took a plea deal for disorderly conduct in March 2010. He was given a suspended 90-day sentence, which would be dropped on the condition that he remain law-abiding for a year, which he did, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported. Brutger was also ordered to pay a $50 fine and receive counseling.  Brutger first addressed the case in a Facebook post in March, saying the experience led him to get involved in politics. 'Yes, in 2009, I did get arrested and charged with multiple felonies. They all ended up getting dropped, and I did agree to plead guilty to disorderly conduct,' he said. 'I paid a $50 fine, and with that, I was able to move forward and fight for custody of my kids. In 2011, I did get full custody of my kids.' Brutger added, 'When you are thrown into the court system, and you start fighting for custody, a person very quickly realizes that we need criminal justice reform and we have to change how custody works in this state.' He told the newspaper the situation was an 'incredibly difficult and painful chapter for our family.' 'I agreed to plead guilty to disorderly conduct; I only did this so I could move on and make sure my children were safe,' Brutger said. Brutger was charged with domestic assault after he allegedly slammed his ex's legs in a car door then strangled her, but took a plea deal for disorderly conduct Brutger first addressed the case in a Facebook post in March, saying the experience led him to get involved in politics Court records from the custody battle indicate Brutger never married his ex, with whom he shares two children. According to his campaign website, he is now married to another woman and has two additional children, describing himself as a 'father of four.'   He works as the Director of Product and Technology for BB Wheels/Outdoorica in Albany and has been involved with the Republican Party in the district since 2012. 'I am a constitutional conservative who believes in fiscal responsibility and limited government. I enjoy fishing, hunting, and being outdoors with family and friends,' his website states. The Daily Mail contacted Brutger and the Minnesota GOP for comment.  Brutger is running to fill the state senate seat for retiring Republican State Senator Jeff Howe. He is up against candidate Kelly Martini for the Republican primary on August 11. The winner will go on to face Democrat Trent Dilks in the general election on November 3. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.