MANKATO — After a season of nasty campaign ads, it was a small irony the friendliest question asked at this mayoral debate drew the best contrast between Mayor John Brady and challenger Eric Anderson.

“What do you see as your opponent’s greatest strength?” asked host Jonathan Zierdt, the Greater Mankato Growth president and CEO, whose organization set up the Tuesday evening debate.

This was the 9th question, and it was Anderson’s turn to go first.

“I think you’re a genuinely nice gentleman, John ... you’re a civil man,” he said.

Brady, in turn, praised Anderson’s finance experience, “something I have a lot of weakness in,” he said.

The question was composed by attendee Mike Lagerquist, who said afterward that asking the candidates to say nice things about each other would be a nice change of pace.

The 35 or so people at the AmericInn Hotel & Conference Center had time to ask 15 questions. The issue of Brady’s drunken driving conviction didn’t come up until Brady himself mentioned it briefly in closing statements.

Brady said he’s “deeply moved” by the support he’s receiving and will be a better mayor as the result of the experience.

Chris Frederick, who is waging a write-in campaign for mayor, was unable to attend because of his work on the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System’s Board of Trustees, a representative said.

The debate format was simple: Each candidate had one minute to answer each question, and the first person to answer got an extra 30 seconds as a rebuttal. A detail: Each candidate had one “wild card” he could use to talk for an extra minute at any time.

A few questions were non-starters, while others were illuminating. Here’s three questions (some paraphrased for length) that drew some contrast.

Q: Name and explain some initiatives you’ve accomplished as mayor or intend to.

Anderson said he’s got a list of “non-controversial” ideas listed on his Facebook page, including twice-annual meetings in each council ward, monthly meetings with the business community and a “mayoral council” of advisers.

Increasing public involvement was a theme of his remarks.

Brady isn’t big on announcing initiatives, but said he was a founding member of Mankato Area Healthy Youth and tries to spur discussions about multiculturalism.

He highlighted his attempts to “direct public discussion in an admirable, congenial way” and said there’s been an improvement in the tone on the City Council during his years as mayor.

Q: What is the city’s role in investing in companies?

Brady said the city should be trying to form “public-private partnerships.” Sometimes, he said, city investment is justified in unpopular industries, when companies can’t raise money in the private sector and on blighted property.

Anderson chose to use his “wild card” to talk for two minutes, laying out his balance between government investment and caution.

Yes, he said, the city has a role in helping private business, particularly by building roads and other infrastructure improvements.

But, citing the recent failure of a city-subsidized recycling companies, he said governments will be doing fewer projects like this in the future.

Q: What is the city’s most pressing issue?

Anderson cheated a bit, mentioning both the “uncertainty” around who will be elected to state and federal posts, and the “disconnect between the citizenry and local government.”

That uncertainty could be mitigated by more involvement, he suggested.

“You folks have a say in what’s going on.”

Brady said forming relationships that get more people involved is the most crucial issue. Volunteerism is what led him to be mayor, he said, a job he’s enjoyed very much.

The election is Tuesday, Nov. 2.

In the August primary, Anderson beat Frederick 636 votes to 598, a margin of about 1 percent. Brady earned 1,588 votes, or about 56 percent of the total.