Gov. Tim Walz lifted the hem of his jeans to reveal to Richard and Patty Beaver a pair of socks that are the subject of much debate.
Greeting the first people in line for Day 1 of the Minnesota State Fair, the DFL governor explained that the socks are from the lieutenant governor, who insists they show Pronto Pups, even though he says they're corn dogs. Walz worked the predawn crowd, talking about his favorite fair foods and posing for selfies.
"We [politicians] tend to like the odd years better," he joked to one group.
The tone at this year's fair is dramatically different for Walz, who was in the middle of a contentious re-election battle the last time he attended. A giant "Walz failed" banner funded by a conservative group was flown by plane over the fairgrounds for much of its 12-day run. Interactions with voters were more heated.
But in years when there's no statewide election, fairgoers tend to adhere to a version of Minnesota nice: the people who like a politician will give them a warm greeting, and the people who aren't fans say nothing at all.
"I think everybody is relieved not to be in the middle of the campaign," said DFL U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, who was also waiting outside the fairgrounds for the gates to open. "Not only the candidates but also the voters."
Danny Nadeau, a Republican state representative from Rogers, has spent years campaigning at the fair, including for past governor candidates. He prefers non-election years.
"People are more interested in who you are as a person," he said. "It's really nice, I wish it was more like this all of the time."
This year, politicians get to devote more attention to the food and the ritual of the fair.
"I'm here to eat all the things with pickles and lefse," said DFL State Auditor Julie Blaha, who survived her re-election campaign last fall by fewer than 8,500 votes. This year, she could focus on her true State Fair passion — crop art.
Blaha submits crop art every fair and this year nodded to the spring's productive legislative session with a "Minnesota Miracle 2.0" piece in the shape of the state. She didn't win this contest, but there were no hard feelings.
"This is one of the best crop art years I've seen in a decade," Blaha said.
Later in the morning, she took Peggy Flanagan over to the Horticulture building so the lieutenant governor could see her likeness made out in glue and tiny seeds. Flanagan stared at the piece for several moments before moving through a long line to take a picture with her cellphone. "I'm deeply moved by it," she said.
"You look like a young Ruth Bader Ginsburg," Walz remarked.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is on the ballot in 2024, said the fair isn't that different for her whether or not it's an election year. She was excited to try the Holey Hamloaf breakfast sandwich from the Hamline Church Dining Hall and chat with Minnesotans about what's on their minds.
"Democracy is also about civil discussions, even if it means at the State Fair booth or in the Horticulture Building," the Minnesota Democrat said.
But no State Fair is completely devoid of politics, especially one year away from a presidential election.
"Every day we're campaigning as a political party," DFL Party Chair Ken Martin said outside the party's booth, where it was selling pro-Biden gear, and T-shirts that said "Roe Roe Roe your vote" and "Yes we cannabis." The party also handed out "MNGOP Failed" fans to visitors, a response to last year's "Walz failed" slogan.
"We're on the gerbil wheel, it's just a different treat that we're going after," said GOP Party Deputy Chair Donna Bergstrom, who was working the party's booth on Thursday. The GOP was selling shirts saying "Vote Dem Out" and "Clean Up On Aisle 46."
Unlike past years, there was no MAGA gear at their booth because they have to remain neutral until the national party endorses a candidate for president.
But nearby at the booth for Action 4 Liberty, a conservative campaign group, former President Donald Trump had a commanding lead in an unscientific poll for GOP presidential candidates — tallied with kernels of corn.
Staff writer Hunter Woodall contributed to this story.
