This browser does not support the Video element.
Political Happy Hour: Klobuchar and Demuth face off
Political Happy Hour covers the day’s biggest political stories, the road to the 2026 midterms and what it means for voters and the Midwest.
(FOX 9) - FOX 9 will air a Minnesota gubernatorial debate between U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth ahead of the general election on Nov. 3.
FOX 9 is co-producing the televised gubernatorial debate in partnership with the following Gray Media television stations serving Minnesota: KTTC/KXLT (Rochester-Mason City-Austin), KBJR (Duluth-Superior), KEYC (Mankato), and KVLY (Fargo-Moorhead). The debate will take place live at KTTC/KXLT in Rochester.
QUICK LINKS: Minnesota voter guide | How to vote early in Minnesota | Minnesota politics & election news
Watch FOX 9 gubernatorial debate
Minnesota gubernatorial debate on FOX 9
Big picture view:
The debate will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 21, beginning at 7 p.m. The candidates will face questions from a panel of representatives from each participating television station, focusing on key statewide and regional issues.
What you can do:
You can watch the debate live on FOX 9 and streaming on FOX9.com, the FOX LOCAL app and FOX 9's YouTube channel.
The 60-minute debate will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21, followed by an hour of post-debate analysis.
FOX 9 coverage of the debate will begin at 6:30 p.m.
Minnesota governor's race: Klobuchar vs. Demuth
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (left) and Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth (right) are running for Minnesota governor.
Why you should care:
Minnesota has an open governor's race for the first time since 2018 after Democrat Gov. Tim Walz decided not to seek a third term. The Minnesota governor's race will likely make history because if either Klobuchar or Demuth wins, the voters will be electing the state's first woman governor.
The backstory:
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, is in her fourth Senate term. She was the first woman to represent Minnesota in the position, first running in 2006 after a career as a Hennepin County prosecutor. She briefly ran a presidential campaign in 2020. Since winning her first election in 2006, she has risen to 14th in the Senate in seniority, and the third Democrat in Senate party leadership.
Republican Lisa Demuth has served as speaker of the Minnesota House since 2024, the first Black lawmaker to serve in that role, and served as minority leader before that. She was first elected to the House in 2018. Prior to that, she was a small business owner and served on the Rockville, Cold Spring, and Richmond (ROCORI) school board. If Demuth wins the election, she will also become the first Black governor of Minnesota, according to data from the National Governor’s Association.
Dig deeper:
Minnesota has not had a Republican governor since Tim Pawlenty, who left office in 2011. The GOP has not won a statewide election in Minnesota in 20 years, when Pawlenty won the 2006 election.
What's next:
The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from previous FOX 9 reporting and the candidate's campaign websites.