Hannah Nicollet, a former software developer and Roseville mom who's running for governor as candidate for the Independence Party, complained Monday about being left out of a debate on Tuesday in Duluth.
Gov. Mark Dayton and his Republican challenger, Jeff Johnson, are participating in the debate at the Duluth Playhouse. Nicollet participated in the first two debates of the race, two weeks ago in Rochester and last week in Moorhead.
"The Independence Party is still a major party in Minnesota," Nicollet said, pointing out that 2010 IP candidate Tom Horner participated in all debates. Even by previous IP standards, Nicollet has run a low-profile race this time, raising little in campaign funds and rarely breaking single digit-support in polls.
The chief sponsor of the Duluth debate is the Duluth Chamber of Commerce, and its president and CEO, David Ross, said the group negotiated the details of the debate with the Dayton and Johnson campaigns in August.
"Very recently, candidate Nicollet's campaign expressed an interest in participating, and we considered that request," Ross said. "But we decided we needed to honor the original arrangement and proceed as planned, and not change it in the 11th hour."
Dayton said at the Rochester debate that he believed Nicollet should participate in all subsequent debates. Johnson said last week the decisions were up to debate organizers.
There are two more debates after Tuesday: on Oct. 19 and Oct. 31, both in St. Paul. Nicollet said Monday she had not heard from organizers of either debate.
