Two Democratic presidential hopefuls will be hosting town hall meetings on Wednesday in Osage.

Businessman and lawyer Andrew Yang will hold a meeting at 11:30 a.m. at Limestone Brewers, 518 Main St. in Osage. Former Vice President and current Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden will also hold a meeting at 2:30 p.m. at VFW Post 7920, 3693 US 218 on the north side of Osage.

According to Kurt Meyer, chair of the Mitchell County Democrats, Wednesday will mark the first time either candidate has come to Mitchell County during their current campaigns.

“It’s exciting,” he said.

Meyer stated that Biden last came to Mitchell County in 2008 and that his wife, Jill Biden, was in the county three weeks ago.

Meyer has reached out to neighboring counties, including Mower County, inviting people to attend what he calls a “firsthand, up-close and personal encounter” with the candidates.

“I see my role as chair to connect the people with the candidates,” he said. “Because we are known throughout the state for being able to generate a good crowd, more of (the candidates) want to come. Our record is pretty darn good. By inviting neighboring counties, we have the ability to commandeer these campaigns and it’s huge.”

Meyer noted that it is very rare to have two presidential candidates visiting a small town like Osage on the same day.

���We are not always a top destination; we’re a rural county,” he said.

Both events are free and open to the public.

“It’s a wonderful, up-close and personal opportunity,” Meyer said. “It means that if you wish to ask a question or have a photo taken, this is your opportunity. We know that greater crowds encourage greater enthusiasm and we want to make sure our friends from Minnesota can join us.”