Former Broadcaster Cory Hepola Runs for Governor

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Former WCCO Radio personality Cory Hepola announced Tuesday that he’s running for governor as a centrist third-party candidate.

Hepola made the announcement with a video posted on Twitter as his campaign website went live.

“We’re not red. We’re not blue. We’re purple,” Hepola says in the video. “We compromise here, collaborate, we care for each other. And today we have hope that a positive leader, one who represents all of us, will unite us.”

Hepola, a native of Otter Tail County in northwestern Minnesota, disclosed that he was considering a run in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio on Feb. 8. That turned out to be his last day at WCCO Radio, where he had hosted a morning show since January 2019. Hepola also formerly anchored at KARE -TV.

Another third-party candidate, former wrestler Jesse Ventura, famously “shocked the world” when he won Minnesota’s gubernatorial race in 1998. But other third-party candidates have not fared as well since then. They run the risk of being spoilers who tip the balance to another candidate.

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is seeking re-election, while there’s a crowded field of Republican candidates seeking their party’s endorsement.