photo by Brie Cohen

Republican congressional candidate Brian Davis places his speech notes in his coat pocket while being introduced before he walked to the front of the room to speak to area residents at the Fairlane Building on Wednesday.

Davis rallies GOP faithful

1st District challenger shares his views

By Sarah Stultz | Albert Lea Tribune

Published Thursday, October 30, 2008

With a mere six days left until the election, Republican congressional candidate Brian Davis campaigned Wednesday in Albert Lea, running through his key platforms and trying to clear up several messages about him that have aired in TV advertisements.

Drawing on his medical and energy backgrounds throughout his talk, Davis at the end simply asked the audience for their votes on Election Day. A good-sized crowd of at least 100 listened in the Fairlane Building at the event.

“We need your help come Tuesday,” Davis said.

Davis — a Rochester physician who is running in the 1st District against incumbent Tim Walz, a DFLer and Mankato teacher, and Lake Crystal farmer Gregory Mikkelson with the Independence Party — encouraged everyone in attendance to contact at least five or 10 of their close friends and share his message.

Touching on the key principles of his beliefs, Davis said he believes in the right to life.

“A human being begins at conception,” he said. “You do not need to destroy an embryo to do stem-cell research.”

He said marriage should be defined as a union between one man and one woman, and that fact is something for which he stands.

Davis asked people if they have received mail or seen commercials that state he wants to raise sales taxes by 23 percent.

“That flier ... doesn’t tell the whole story,” he said. “When you see something you don’t think is true, we shouldn’t be quiet about it.”

Regarding immigration, Davis said, this country needs to demand that people who come here do so legally.

“Illegal immigration works like a hidden tax on the middle class,” he said.

Moving to education, Davis said he believes the primary authority in a child’s education is that child’s parents, second is the community.

He said he does not support the No Child Left Behind Act, though it may have passed Congress with good intentions.

“The No. 1 determiner about whether a child is successful at school is the home,” he said. But there needs to be funding in place for schools, too, he noted.

Davis said the United States should drill offshore for oil.

Regarding health care, he said he thinks there is a big problem in Washington, “where people are just itching to take over health care,” he said.

When a patient comes through the door, they don’t come through as a Republican or Democrat. And people should be able to choose their own doctors.

Despite its flaws, this country’s health care system is the greatest system in the world, he said.

There should be more portability in insurance, and people should know going into an elective surgery could potentially cost, he said.

He also pointed out that he received an A grade from the National Rifle Association.

After Davis finished, audience members asked questions of the Mayo Clinic physician.

Questions centered around Social Security, the ethanol industry, global warming and oil prices.

“When I first met this man ... I knew he was coming across very much with the truth,” said Freeborn County Republican Party Chairman Tiny Brandt.

Brandt said he prayed to God for the success of the party’s candidates, but then as a Christian knew he had to add that whatever happens, it was God’s will.

He thinks Davis is a deserving man, he said.

To show his support was Minnesota House District 27A candidate Erik Larsen, R-Albert Lea, who is seeking election Tuesday as well. He faces Robin Brown, DFL-Moscow Township.

Former state Rep. Paul Overgaard said he has a special feeling in his heart for Larsen and Davis as they’re campaigning.

“They’re doing what I can still vividly remember doing 46 years ago,” Overgaard said. “I really understand what these guys are going through.”

He called Davis “one of the best qualified candidates” he’s ever seen.

“He’s the kind of guy we really need in the Congress of the United States,” he said.

Davis asked for any donations people were willing to give, as the last few days of the campaign will be filled with lots of television and radio commercials.

He said he will be debating one of his candidates Thursday in Austin, will be touring the western end of the district on Friday and then will attend a gun show on Saturday.