Albert Lea Tribune: Debates planned for races

The Albert Lea Tribune reports in Debates planned for races:

The congressional race between DFL incumbent Tim Walz and Republican challenger Brian Davis will be among 15 contests to be the focus of debates organized by Debate Minnesota this election season.

but later in the same article:

First Congressional District race between DFL incumbent Tim Walz and Republican challengers Brian Davis and Dick Day. The times and places for this and the other races have yet to be determined. The 1st District stretches across southern Minnesota, including Albert Lea, Austin, Rochester, Mankato, Winona and Worthington.. . .

. . .Sixth Congressional District race between Republican incumbent Michele Bachmann, Republican challenger Aubrey Immelman and DFL challenger El Tinklenberg. . . .

In many races the parties haven’t winnowed their candidates to one each. That will take place in the Sept. 9 primary election.

It's unclear from the reporting whether Debate Minnesota will try to schedule its forums before or after the primary; debates will also be scheduled for the open seat in MN-03.

Also of interest: the state house races (and senate special election) chosen by the group's board. The board "tends to select races it feels will be tight, such as the Benda-Brown race two years ago."

In the First, only the rematches in 28B (Drazkowski v. Pfielsticker) and 31B (Tschumper v. Davids) are on the schedule. Go find out about the rest at the AL Tribune.

Update: We're guessing that the debate will be scheduled after the primary. For 2006, Debate Minnesota held one forum in the MN-01 race in October at Bethany College in Mankato. Curiously enough, it also held a debate between incumbent Jim Oberstar and GOP challenger Rod Grams. Oberstar won the election by over 63 percent.

Trivia: Brian Davis's campaign manager, Brad Biers, took part in one of the 2006 debates. Biers was defeated in the election by Scott Kranz for the suburban seat in Blaine.

Four MN-01 state house and senate races were conducted by Debate Minnesota in 2006; the DFL candidates captured every seat. [end update]

Photo: Tim Walz and former Congressman Gil Gutknecht debate in Owatonna in October 2006. Photo swiped from MPR.