Wednesday’s gubernatorial debate in Moorhead will include Independence Party candidate Hannah Nicollet after all, following a change of plan by the sponsors, the Forum Newspapers.
The sponsors had initially invited only Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican challenger Jeff Johnson, based on a policy that called for participation only by those getting 10 percent support or more in the polls.
That left Nicollet out.
But now a poll has surfaced showing Nicollet with 11 percent support, said Don Davis, the Forum’s political reporter, who also is the moderator.
The poll by Gravis Marketing in Florida was conducted in July, but not released to the Minnesota media. Gravis President Doug Kaplan, a political consultant, said the poll was conducted by his company and not funded by any political group.
The Gravis poll showed Dayton with 52 percent, Johnson with 37 and Nicollett 11. It was conducted by automated telephone calls.
Nicollet has been in the low single digits in most polls.
Nicollet’s campaign confirmed that she’ll be there.
The debate, the second in the race, will be at Minnesota State University Moorhead, at 7 p.m. Three more gubernatorial debates are scheduled.
