Friday Five: Chamber’s gubernatorial forum highlights Minnesota’s economic priorities

By Doug Loon
President and CEO
Minnesota Chamber of Commerce

We had a fantastic gubernatorial forum at Madden’s on Gull Lake this past Monday, bringing together the two candidates for governor to discuss the issues that matter to Minnesota’s business community and our state’s economic future.

We were honored to put on this program for our members and our friends from the Brainerd Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce. We came together to ensure that a live audience was there for the discussion on key business issues.

I want to, of course, thank Lisa Demuth and Amy Klobuchar and their campaigns for participating and taking the time to share their perspectives with business leaders from across Minnesota. We had a fantastic audience and a great opportunity to hear directly from both candidates about their priorities and how they would approach the challenges and opportunities facing our state.

You know, Minnesota’s economy needs to be a top priority for our next governor. We need a leader with a clear vision for economic growth and a commitment to making our state more competitive, and that was the topic at our forum.

The next governor will also need to work with the Legislature to advance policies that help create and support jobs, strengthen our workforce and help businesses grow across Minnesota.

Another key topic was the upcoming election. With Election Day coming up on Tuesday, November 3, it’s important for Minnesotans to understand where the candidates stand on issues that affect our economy, including taxes, regulations and workforce challenges.

If you weren’t able to join us in person on Monday, we made the full forum available through a special episode of the Minnesota Business Podcast that aired this past Tuesday. I encourage everyone to take some time to listen to the candidates’ answers and hear their plans for Minnesota’s future firsthand.

You can find this special episode at mnchamber.com. It’s a great way to hear the conversation and learn more about the issues facing Minnesota’s business community.

Thanks again to everyone who helped make the forum possible, including the campaigns and candidates, the team at the Chamber, our friends in the Brainerd area and the team at Madden’s Resort.

It was a great program, and we were honored, as I said, to host such an important discussion. Having these conversations is an important part of making sure the business community’s priorities are part of the discussion about Minnesota’s future.

November 3 is critical, so make sure to vote. Check your calendar today to make sure you’re available, and if you’re not, be sure to vote in advance.

Thanks again. Have a great weekend, and we’ll catch up with you on next week’s episode of the Minnesota Business Podcast.