DFL Chair: Cory Hepola Is A 'Vanity Candidate' That Will Help GOP

TWIN CITIES, MN — The chairman of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Wednesday called Cory Hepola a "celebrity vanity candidate" who is running a "spoiler campaign" for governor.

Hepola, who made his name in the Twin Cities as a KARE 11 anchor and then a WCCO radio host, announced Tuesday that he will run for governor as an independent because he is "exhausted by the toxic two-party divisiveness."

Ken Martin — the head of the DFL — responded in a news release titled "Hepola’s Campaign to Elect a GOP Governor."

"Minnesota doesn’t need another celebrity vanity candidate that could hand the Governor’s office to an anti-choice, anti-LGBT Republican," Martin writes.

"The current field of Republican candidates for governor is the most extreme that Minnesota has seen in decades, making Hepola’s spoiler campaign even more irresponsible. A vote for Cory Hepola is a vote to help the GOP cut taxes for the rich, defund public schools, and force their anti-choice agenda on Minnesotans. Three out of the last four Minnesota gubernatorial elections have been decided by single digits – and two of them were decided by one percent or less."

Hepola joins a crowded field of people trying to unseat Gov. Tim Walz. Among the Republicans running are Sen. Michelle Benson, former Sen. Paul Gazelka, and former Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek.

From 2015 to 2018, Hepola anchored KARE 11's weekend program, "Sunrise." In 2019, he became WCCO Radio's midday host until he left last month.

Watch Hepola's first campaign video here.