WINONA, Minn. – Five Democrats seeking to replace the late Jim Hagedorn in Congress will speak and take questions at a DFL-sponsored forum Wednesday at Winona State University. Participants:

> Sarah Brakebill-Hacke, of Preston, a graduate student at Cambridge in England.

> A surrogate for Candice Deal-Bartell, of Mankato, a small business owner and child advocate.

> Rick DeVoe, of Red Wing, a bookshop owner.

> Jeff Ettinger, of Austin, former Hormel chief executive.

> Richard W. Painter, of Mendota Heights, a University of Minnesota law professor and ethicist. The event will be at Kryzsko Commons at 7 p.m. A public mingling is at 6:30.

Earlier: GOP club hosts gubernatorial forum

Verbatim

Jim Worthley, Winona County DFL chair: “These candidates are relatively unknown in the Winona area. It is important for citizens to attend this forum to become a more informed vote.”

Election calendar

A special primary election for the vacant southern Minnesota seat in Congress will be May 24. The election itself will be August 9 to decide who serves out Hagedorn’s term. Hagedorn, a Republican, died in February.