ST PAUL, Minn. — Former WCCO radio host and KARE 11 anchor Cory Hepola announced he's pulling out of the race for governor.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Hepola, who announced back in March he would run for governor of Minnesota as a third-party candidate, said he's chosen not to file, but will "continue to promote and build support for the bold, new ideas on which my campaign was built."
In his statement, the Perham, Minnesota native doubled down on his desire for a third party in Minnesota, calling the current two-party system "toxic."
"We need a strong 3rd party in Minnesota to represent the majority in the middle; this choice will uplift the entire political conversation, forcing our two-major parties to focus on the issues and compromise," Hepola's statement reads. "Unfortunately, right now, that doesn't exist, and the polarization driven by the Democratic and Republican parties make it unlikely that 2022 will be the breakthrough year."
Before joining WCCO Radio in 2019, Hepola worked as an anchor at KARE 11, anchoring Sunrise and the weekend newscast, including an on-air pairing with his wife, Camille.
Hepola started his WCCO radio gig in 2019 and hosted the 9 a.m. to noon "Hey, it's Cory Hepola" show until mid-February, when Hepola announced he was leaving.
Incumbent Gov. Tim Walz was recently endorsed by the DFL, while Scott Jensen won Minnesota's GOP endorsement.
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