By Grace Jacobson / KVSC News Director & J.J. Perry / St. Cloud LIVE Editor

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — St. Cloud mayoral candidates Jake Anderson and Mike Conway will meet on Tuesday, Oct. 15, in a debate sponsored by KVSC Radio and St. Cloud LIVE.

The debate will happen at 7 p.m. at Ritsche Auditorium in Stewart Hall on the campus of St. Cloud State University, 701 First Avenue South.

The event is free and open to the public.

The debate will also be live streamed at links on kvsc.org and stcloudlive.com.

Grace “Gracie J.” Jacobson of KVSC Radio and reporter Trent Abrego of St. Cloud LIVE will moderate.

Residents can submit questions in advance of the debate, and attendees and those watching the livestream will be able to submit questions via an online webform during the event.

Anderson and Conway were the top two vote-getters in the St. Cloud mayor primary election in August. Anderson took 23.5% of the vote, while Conway finished with 21%, according to the Minnesota secretary of state’s website.

The remainder of the votes were divided among the other primary candidates.

In all, six candidates entered the mayoral race following Mayor Dave Kleis’ announcement in April that he would not run for re-election.

Sixty-year-old Kleis first took office in 2005 after he unseated incumbent John Ellenbecker by two votes.

Either Anderson or Conway will be the first new mayor in St. Cloud in 20 years.

Forty-four-year-old Anderson is serving his first term on the St. Cloud City Council, representing St. Cloud’s 3rd Ward. He earned his bachelor’s degree in information sciences from St. Cloud State. Anderson is employed as Stearns County IT project manager.

Fifty-eight-year-old Conway is in his second term on the council, representing the 4th Ward. He also attended SCSU and earned his bachelor’s degree in biology. Conway works for Wolters Kluwer.

Early voting (in person or by mail) in the general election begins on Friday, Sept. 20, and concludes on Monday, Nov. 4.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.