By Mark Fischenich

Free Press Staff Writer

If the ability to raise money proves to be the deciding factor of the campaign season, Democratic Congressman Tim Walz looks likely to beat Republican Brian Davis in the Nov. 4 general election.

Davis, and even more-so state Sen. Dick Day, are hoping money won’t determine who wins.

Walz will out-raise Davis by a better than two-to-one margin during the latest fundraising period when reports are filed with the Federal Elections Commission later this week, according to the two campaigns. And Day, while he hasn’t tabulated his donations, expects to be well behind both Walz and Davis, Day’s opponent in the Sept. 9 Republican primary election.

Walz will report raising another $240,000 to $250,000 between July 1 and Aug. 20, according to campaign manager Chris Schmitter. Davis said his fund-raising during the same period will be about $100,000.

Day’s campaign probably won’t get its report ready until just before the Thursday deadline.

“I only have two people,” Day, R-Owatonna, said of his campaign staff. “I’m a little thin here.”

Davis, the endorsed candidate, said he thinks his fund-raising proficiency should be a consideration for voters deciding between the two Republicans on Sept. 9.

“I do believe it is a reflection on the candidate and the ability to organize a campaign that can be competitive in the general election,” Davis said.

Day, who expresses confidence in his ability to beat Walz in debates, said he’s hoping GOP voters won’t be influenced by the Mayo Clinic physician’s advantage in campaign cash.

“If that’s what convinces somebody to vote for him, I can’t do anything about that,” Day said. “If that’s what our world has come to ... that’s kind of sad.”

Davis said he’s satisfied with his fund-raising, noting that it’s comparable to what Walz and then-Congressman Gil Gutknecht raised during the same pre-primary reporting period two years ago. In 2006, Walz raised just under $105,000 and Gutknecht generated $127,000.

When Davis’ contributions and loans to his campaign are included — an amount that now tops $185,000 — he’s surpassing the fund-raising pace of Walz during his campaign to topple Gutknecht. Walz had raised $546,000 through mid-August of 2006 compared to the approximately $714,000 Davis will report on Thursday.

This campaign, however, Walz has raised substantially more than Gutknecht had at the same point in 2006 — more than $2.1 million compared to Gutknecht’s $840,000. Walz also has more than $1.2 million in cash available for the final 10 weeks of the campaign, nearly $400,000 more than Gutknecht had in August of 2006.