After 36 years of covering politics, WCCO-TV reporter Pat Kessler is calling it quits. Kessler will retire after the 2020 elections. He joined WCCO in 1984 and since then has covered the administrations of eight Minnesota governors including Jesse Ventura’s improbable gubernatorial run.
“It has been the honor of my life to tell the stories of everyday Minnesotans and the people in elected office who represent them. I am humbled by the kindness and support our viewers have shown me for many years,” Kessler said. “Our state is vast, and our political differences are sometimes great, but we have a uniquely Minnesota ability to persevere and thrive.”
Kessler is known for holding elected officials accountable, publicly fact-checking politicians during the Emmy award-winning Reality Check show which debuted back in 1996. He has interviewed every president from Jimmy Carter to Donald Trump.
“Pat is part of what makes WCCO a legacy newsroom, covering some of the biggest political events of our time,” said Ann Ouellette, Vice President and General Manager of WCCO-TV. “Our community has benefitted from Pat’s consistent, impartial reporting.”
In 2015, Kessler was enshrined into the Silver Circle Hall of Fame by the Midwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
“I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to work with some of the most dedicated journalists in the country,” Kessler said.
