(AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)

Andrew Yang’s new political party is off to a confusing start in Minnesota, as its first endorsed statewide candidate – independent gubernatorial candidate Cory Hepola – has expressed skepticism about one of the Forward Party’s founding principles: universal basic income. 

Universal basic income was one of Yang’s major campaign points during his unsuccessful runs for president and mayor of New York City. As the idea has gained legitimacy across the country, cities like Minneapolis, St. Paul, Compton and Richmond started experimenting  with government-funded, unconditional monthly cash payments for low-income families.

When Yang switched his affiliation from Democrat to independent and announced the creation of the Forward Party last October, he told an audience of Washington D.C. supporters: “By the way, [the Forward Party] is how we’re going to pass universal basic income.” 

But the Forward Party endorsed Hepola in March, who told Axios that while he now supports the policy on a federal level, he has no plans to institute a statewide UBI if elected as Minnesota’s governor.

Hepola — a former news anchor for Minnesota television stations WCCO and KARE and the first third-party candidate to join a long list of Republicans trying to unseat Democratic Gov. Tim Walz in this November’s election — has raised concerns about UBI since Yang’s presidential run. He questioned Yang’s proposal on-air in 2019. 

“While the idea of a universal basic income sounds great, I don’t know how you pay for it,” Hepola said on his WCCO show. “Perspective? Social security is under a trillion [dollars]. It’s $988 billion. So it would be three times that, just per year. And then, is it ever gonna be enough? Will it ever be enough?”

In that same show, Hepola challenged Yang’s legitimacy as a candidate, saying “​​he hasn’t had any real legislative experience.” He dissed Yang in a previous episode as well, calling on him to drop out when discussing the oversaturation of Democratic candidates.

“Democrats, here, since you can’t do it, let me help you out. Let me get out my red pen here,” he said. “Andrew Yang, gone.”

A year later, Hepola also said on-air that he was “skeptical” of candidates who “run on free stuff” and that UBI went against human nature.

“Y’know, if people are getting money without actually earning it, does that incentivize people to then work?” he asked.

Also, Hepola’s campaign website removed a page that expressed support for federal UBI last month, though Hepola told Axios that this was likely an error and that the page “should probably be on” there.

As Minnesota’s gubernatorial race tightens, with Waltz leading over GOP primary frontrunner Scott Jensen 43% to 40% as of a KSTP/SurveyUSA poll in February, Hepola’s campaign faces criticism for its potential to help elect a GOP governor. Three of the last four Minnesota gubernatorial elections have been decided by single-digit percentage points, and two of them were decided by 1% or less.

Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party Chairman Ken Martin released a statement in March criticizing Hepola’s run.

“The current field of Republican candidates for governor is the most extreme that Minnesota has seen in decades, making Hepola’s spoiler campaign even more irresponsible,” Martin’s statement reads. “A vote for Cory Hepola is a vote to help the GOP cut taxes for the rich, defund public schools, and force their anti-choice agenda on Minnesotans.”