By Tim Krohn

Free Press Staff Writer

MANKATO — As Dick Day officially kicks off his primary campaign, he admits the topics of interest have dramatically changed since he began his quest to be in Congress.

“Last year when I went around to towns, to the parades and coffee shops, immigration was just a huge issue with people. But I’ll tell you, the gas issue, in the last 90 days, has taken over everything,” said Day during a stop in Mankato Tuesday.

Day says he’d push for more domestic oil exploration and would go after record oil company profits if elected to Congress.

But first, Day has to become the Republican candidate to challenge Democratic first-term Rep. Tim Walz in the 1st District.

Day, an 18-year state senator from Owatonna, will challenge Brian Davis, a Mayo Clinic physician, in the Sept. 9 Republican primary.

Davis, in his first run for public office, was endorsed by Republican delegates at their convention this spring. Day had initially said he would abide by the endorsement, but two months before the convention, he announced he would not take part in it and would run in the primary.

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