October 22, 1998 - Two out of three gubernatorial candidates today held campaign events focusing on agriculture and the rural vote, but the day's real buzz still centered on Jesse Ventura and the comments he made yesterday regarding legalized prostitution. Minnesota Public Radio's politics reporter, Martin Kaste, has this run-down of today's campaign events.
October 26, 1998 - Today is the start of the last full week of campaigning before the November 3rd election. The polls show DFLer Skip Humphrey and Republican Norm Coleman are about neck-and-neck in the race for governor, with Reformer Jesse Ventura threatening to come up from behind. The three major-party candidates met for a televised debate over the weekend, and if that encounter is any indication, this campaign promises to get a lot more hotly contested and negative during the final days.
October 26, 1998 - With Republicans only six seats shy of controlling the Minnesota House of Representatives, political strategists have their eye on about two dozen districts that could make or break the DFL's majority status. Three of those districts are located in northwestern Minnesota, and are attracting a lot of attention from the two major parties.
October 28, 1998 - MPR's Mark Zdechlik caught up with Ventura at a rally at the University of Minnesota. Reform party candidate Jesse Ventura announced plans for a statewide get out the vote blitz in the final days before the election. Zdechlik interviews numerous potential voters.
October 29, 1998 - MPR’s Chris Roberts talks with Neal Hagberg and Leandra Peak, of the folk duo Neal & Leandra. The two share their thoughts about CD “Stranger to My Kin,” which takes a strikingly darker lyrical turn from duo’s previous sound.
October 30, 1998 - An MPR Special, presenting various reports on the major issues in this year's Gubernatorial campaign: taxes, education, crime, housing and agriculture. Program includes interviews and speech excerpts.
October 30, 1998 - Midday presents a special "Talk of Minnesota" program, presenting the views of MPR listeners on what they've heard from the candidates so far and what they want to hear in next debate or on the campaign trail in order to make their choice for governor.
October 30, 1998 - The community group CAAR last night accepted an apology from KQRS Radio for comments made on the station's morning show about Hmong people and culture. In June, host Tom Barnard and the morning crew talked about a Hmong girl who killed her infant. They ridiculed Hmong traditions and criticized Hmong who don't assimilate. CAAR organized protests, demanded an apology, and persuaded advertisers to pull their ads from the station.
October 31, 1998 - The three major Gubernatorial candidates debated for ONE last time on radio AND television last night. DFL-er Skip Humphrey, Republican Norm Coleman and the Reform Party's Jesse Ventura debated key issues before a LIVE studio audience.
November 2, 1998 - Sarah Stoesz, DFL analyst; Tom Horner, Republican analyst; and Dean Barkley, Reform party analyst, provide commentary on this election-eve special. Program includes interviews of Attorney General candidates on the campaign trail around the state. Stoesz, Horner and Barkley also answer listener questions. Program begins with reports from MPR reporters following the campaigns.