Stakes get higher for Day, Davis

Republican state Sen. Dick Day caused a stir when he declined to seek party endorsement in the First District congressional race in favor of running in the Sept. 9 primary, but as that day draws closer, the anticipated heat appears less than scorching.

Day of Owatonna will face Mayo Clinic physician Brian Davis, the GOP-endorsed candidate from Rochester who is outfinancing and outmanning Day in their fight to challenge incumbent Tim Walz, DFL-Mankato. The contest hasn't quite generated fever-pitch interest, said Joseph Kunkel, a political science professor at Minnesota State University at Mankato.

"He's choosing to run a very low-key campaign," Kunkel said of Day. "It's hard to say if it's a brilliant strategy or ... a lack of organizational effort."

The Republican contenders are taking two very different approaches toward primary victory: Davis is working the core Republican voting base and drawing contrasts between himself and Walz.

Day is unabashedly taking a man-on-the-street approach, shaking hands with business owners on Main Streets across the southern Minnesota district without, he said, even bringing up the voter's party affiliation.

The men have largely played nice and only marginally veer apart on the issues; Davis and Walz have traded barbs.

"This is Day against Goliath," Day said. "I'm appealing to everybody."

It's a strategy that could prove difficult to pull off, especially among the noise of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.

"By definition, the broader base doesn't care about the primary," said Sara Janecek, of the newsletter Politics in Minnesota. "That's tough. I gotta think, this race is absolutely impossible to predict."

By the numbers, Davis has the edge. Day has two full-time employees, about 30 volunteers and 500 lawn signs. Atop the party machine as the endorsee, Davis has four employees and about 200 volunteers across the district helping him distribute literature, plant about 2,000 lawn signs and call voters. In fundraising, it's been the same tortoise and the hare race.

But Day has a clear advantage with name recognition earned through service on the Owatonna City Council, the Steele County Board and 17 years in the state House.

"Democrats would much rather run against Brian Davis than Dick Day because Dick Day does have more name recognition," Janecek said.

Davis has overcome that kind of disadvantage before, entering the scene with no political background to snatch the GOP endorsement by 60 votes from his better-known rival, third-term state Rep. Randy Demmer, R-Hayfield.

But he's not underestimating name recognition or the difference between an endorsing convention with a few hundred voters and the primary, where thousands of votes are at stake.

"I wouldn't want to take anything for granted," said Davis, who aggressively raised money this week.

Leading up to Sept. 9, the Republicans plan to cordially campaign in their own way -- often nearly side-by-side in the many small town parades and county fairs they have favored as their platforms -- Day banking on his Everyman appeal and deep roots in the area (he was born in the district and, aside from a short stint in the Navy, has called it home) and Davis, on his newness, work in medicine and education in engineering.

"They're both definitely qualified in different ways," said Mark Piepho, a former First District state representative and state senator. "Anything's possible."

Farmer Gregory Mikkelson, IP-Lake Crystal, is also running for the seat.

OTHER RACES:

• Third District:

Independence Party candidate Steev Ramsdell is challenging endorsed IP candidate David Dillon for the right to compete against DFLer Ashwin Madia and Republican state Rep. Erik Paulsen for the seat being vacated by Republican Jim Ramstad.

• Fifth District:

Gregg Iverson faces U.S. Rep Keith Ellison in the DFL primary. Republican Barb Davis White and IP candidate Bill McGaughey have their parties' endorsements and will be unopposed on Sept. 9.

• Sixth District:

Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann faces a primary challenge from Abraham Immelman. DFLer Elwyn Tinklenberg and Bob Anderson of the IP will be on the ballot in November.

• Seventh District:

Republican Glen Menze is challenged by Alan Roebke to run against DFL incumbent Collin Peterson.

Chao Xiong • 612-673-4391