FarmFest, Minnesota's late summer get-together that features more politics than just about any other gathering in the state, opens Tuesday near Redwood Falls with a host of candidate forums on the schedule.
There had been a rumor about calling off a Senate forum by a candidate who didn't qualify to appear on stage. WCCO political analyst Blois Olson says not so fast.
"Adam Schwarze's campaign put out a news release saying that Farmfest canceled the Senate forum," Olson says. "That is an absolute, utter lie. This idea that you get to create alternative realities as a candidate for public office just isn't going to cut it this year."
Schwarze is the Republican-endorsed candidate for the seat being vacated by retiring Democrat Tina Smith.
Olson says polling numbers are among the reasons Schwarze did not qualify for Wednesday's scheduled forum, despite winning the party endorsement at June's State Convention.
"Adam Schwarze was not qualified to be on the stage by FEC (Federal Election Commission) best practices, which include public polling numbers," Olson added.
The American Farm Bureau, who host the forums, state that a candidate must have:
"A level of support of at least 15% of the relevant electorate, as determined by taking the average of the three most recent publicly-reported polls performed in the race by reputable, news outlets or polling organizations that can be identified by the sponsor."
The latest KSTP/SurveyUSA poll released in July 2026 shows Schwarze polling at 5%, well below the threshold set by the forum. Other polls in June and May from both KSTP/SurveyUSA and Quantus Insights had Schwarze at 7% and 4%.
Those that are appearing on stage include Republicans Michelle Tafoya and Royce White, along with Democrats Angie Craig and Peggy Flanagan.
FarmFest regularly hosts political forums, focused on issues that matter to rural Minnesotans prior to the state Primary. You can
FarmFest also includes a forum of candidates running for Minnesota governor. Participating in that will be Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D), along with three Republican candidates, House Speaker Lisa Demuth, MyPillow owner Mike Lindell, and businessman Kendall Qualls.
There are also two U.S. Congressional forums on Tuesday. At 10:30 a.m. it will be Minnesota's 1st and 2nd Districts with candidates Rep. Brad Finstad (R), Jake Johnson (D), state Rep. Kaela Berg (D), state Sen. Matt Klein (D), Matt Little (D), and state Sen. Eric Pratt (R).
That's followed at 1:15 p.m. with Minnesota's 6th, 7th and 8th Districts including candidates Rep. Tom Emmer (R), Doug Chapin (D), Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R), Eric Osberg (D), Rep. Pete Stauber (R), and Trina Swanson (D).
The Minnesota Primary takes place one week from Tuesday, Aug. 11. WCCO's political analyst Blois Olson is reporting live from FarmFest all this week, presented by Compeer Financial. You can find more information on by clicking here.
GOP-endorsed Senate candidate Adam Schwarze didn't qualify to participate in Senate forum
GOP-endorsed Senate candidate Adam Schwarze didn't qualify to participate in Senate forum
