Good morning and happy Thursday, Hot Dish readers. I’m still a little groggy from the aftermath of a late night of watching, digesting and fact-checking what was the last debate of this presidential election. Say what you will about the debates this cycle, but they definitely had some memorable moments.

The contest between Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance gave me an unexpected chance to team up with an former colleague, Lynn Hulsey of the Dayton Daily News. Lynn and I worked together in Dayton more than a decade ago, before I made the trek north. She’s still kicking butt in Ohio and covering Vance, who grew up in nearby Middletown.

I can distinctly remember Lynn telling me before my departure to the Twin Cities to pack a pencil in the winter because Minnesota’s frigid temperatures can freeze a reporter’s ink mid-sentence. I didn’t listen well enough, of course, because a few months later I was scratching in my notebook with a frozen pen while interviewing then-St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and current Mayor Melvin Carter at the first Crashed Ice event at the Cathedral.

That was more than a dozen years ago. Sometimes, time flies like you’re going downhill on ice skates.

FACT CHECKING: ICYMI you can read the debate fact check colleague Sydney Kashiwagi, Hulsey and I put together that dug into some of the more questionable claims the candidates made Tuesday night. We focused on abortion, Walz’s time in China, Vance’s claim that former President Trump “saved Obamacare” as well as the efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Who “won” the debate typically depends on who you were rooting for, but I think Attorney General Keith Ellison shared an amusing take on Walz’s performance at a Wednesday news conference about a new law on medical debts.

Colleague Jeremy Olson reports that Ellison, who served with Walz in Congress, said he was proud of the way the governor handled himself against a more polished opponent. “Tim Walz is not some slick talking dude,” Ellison said. “He is a teacher, he’s a coach, he’s a governor and his strong suit is authenticity, truthfulness and straight talk.”

In contrast, Tad Jude, a Republican running for the Third Congressional District, was not impressed. He posted a statement to X that “Tim Walz came off as a bit of an oaf.”

To be fair, Walz acknowledged he tends to speak off the cuff. He even said, “I’m a knucklehead at times...”

AD WATCH: The Harris campaign quickly capitalized on one of Walz’s more memorable moments at the end of the debate when he challenged Vance to acknowledge Trump lost the 2020 election. Vance wouldn’t.

By Wednesday morning the exchange was already spun up into an ad featuring footage from the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

GAFFES: Reporters who cover Walz know he occasionally misspeaks, as he admitted during the debate: “I speak like everybody else speaks.” My colleagues Ryan Faircloth and Briana Bierschbach look at how those past words have come under heavy scrutiny as the vice-presidential nominee campaigns nationally alongside Kamala Harris. Vance and other Republicans have argued that Walz’s inaccurate statements aren’t accidental. They’ve accused him of lying for political gain.

Leah Solo worked on Walz’s first congressional campaign in 2006 and was his campaign manager when he ran for governor in 2018. Solo said Walz is a “genuine human being,” and she doesn’t think Republicans’ attempts to frame him as a liar will stick.”

HENNEPIN BOARD: Speaking of digging into candidates’ policies and backgrounds, I have a story about Brad Kohler, a former mixed martial arts fighter who is running for District 7 on the Hennepin County Board against Commissioner Kevin Anderson.

Kohler has several felony convictions in his past, including malicious punishment of a child, third-degree assault and forgery. Kohler said he learned from his past mistakes and they’ve made him a better person. He says serving his community is his calling.

Anderson agrees that people deserve second chances, but he noted these were not youthful indiscretions. “(A)ccountability is key in public service,” Anderson said. “Voters have a right to consider the character and past actions of those seeking to represent them.”

You may also remember Kohler from earlier this cycle. He first announced for the open Third Congressional District but dropped out after his friend, Republican Tad Jude, got the GOP endorsement to face former DFL state Sen. Kelly Morrison to replace Congressman Dean Phillips who is not seeking re-election.

CHENEY: Vice President Kamala Harris plans to visit a one-room schoolhouse in Ripon Wisconsin Thursday that’s considered the “birthplace of the Republican Party” for an endorsement event with former Congresswoman Liz Cheney.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney announced last month he was backing Harris for president over his own party’s candidate, Donald Trump. The Harris campaign stressed the event would be focused on “putting country over party to defend freedom.”

The Harris campaign notes more than 200 former Republican officials are backing her presidential bid.

WHERE’S WALZ:

Walz doesn’t have any local events Thursday, but he is campaigning in Pennsylvania.

READING LIST

Reporter Janet Moore has the latest on the Blue Line light rail project, which won a preliminary approval this week.
How big of a mess the dockworkers strike could be.
Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth is filling up fast, Christa Lawler reports.
CIA wants to make it easier for people in Iran, China and North Korea to share information with the spy agency.
RIP Kris Kristofferson, songwriter, actor and an all-around great guy.

Keep us posted at hotdish@startribune.com.

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