I won’t pretend that broadband took center stage but it did come up at a DFL forum for gubernatorial candidates in Alexandria last weekend.

Eight of the 10 candidates showed up. It sounds as if they each had time for an introduction and to respond to a couple of questions. It sounds as if both Steve Kelley and Paul Thissen mentioned broadband specifically:

Kelley said he’s a leader who can “look over the horizon.” He added that the first bill he introduced in 1993 was for broadband communications.

He [Thissen] said the state should increase its support for rural Minnesota, such as providing broadband communication and more aid to schools and local governments.

There was an overall theme of raising rural areas through greater education and economic opportunities. The case could be made that broadband would support those efforts – but only Kelley and Thissen specifically mentioned it – at least going by the report in the Alexandria Echo Press. (Not that I think the Echo Press would get it wrong but they were covering the forum more generally and probably weren’t pressing to hear the magic term – broadband.