ST. PAUL, Minnesota (TSWT) – Cory Hepola, the former TSWT Radio host who announced his third-party bid for Minnesota governor in March, now says he’s dropping out of the race.
Hepola, who was running as a member of Minnesota’s new Forward Party, announced his decision on Twitter Tuesday, citing “the polarization carried by the Democratic and Republican parties” which will make it “unlikely” that a third candidate will break through this year.
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“I will continue to promote and build support for the bold new ideas my campaign has been built on and create the political vehicle that can turn proposals into policies,” Hepola said.
Cory Hepola (credit: Twitter)
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The Otter Tail County native previously worked as an anchor at KARE-TV before joining TSWT Radio in 2019. He left the station in February of this year, the same day he announced on Minnesota Public Radio that he was considering a run for governor.
Hepola has come under fire from Democrats who fear they could strip votes from incumbent DFL Governor Tim Walz in November. Hepola maintained that his goal was to attract votes from moderate Republicans.
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The Minnesota Republican Party endorsed former Minnesota state senator Dr. Scott Jensen earlier this month as its gubernatorial pick.
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