MARSHALL — Dates have been set for a candidate forum, and for an endorsing convention, for area Republican candidates running for the Minnesota state House of Representatives. Members of the public will have a chance to hear from House candidates Hunter McFall, Brad Hennen and David Sturrock in Marshall on April 21.

The forum will be held at the MERIT Center, located on Erie Road in Marshall. A meet and greet is planned to start at 5:30 p.m., with the forum starting at 6 p.m.

The planned forum and convention were organized after current Rep. Chris Swedzinski, R-Ghent, announced last week that he will not be seeking reelection after the end of his term. Swedzinski represents House District 15A, which includes Lac qui Parle, Yellow Medicine and Lyon counties, as well as part of Chippewa County.

In the days after Swedzinski announced his decision, three Republican candidates announced they would run. McFall is a Granite Falls resident and a paramedic and EMS educator. Hennen is a rural Ghent resident with a background in farming and agriculture sales. Sturrock is a Marshall resident, a political science educator at Southwest Minnesota State University, and a former Marshall City Council member.

Area Republicans also plan to hold an endorsing convention for House District 15A this spring. The convention will be held on May 4 at the Cottonwood Community Center. Registration for delegates starts at 5:30 p.m., with the convention starting at 6:30 p.m.