More than 300 people gathered for a DFL spaghetti supper fund-raising event at the Union Center in Albert Lea Friday.

First Congressional District candidate Steve Andreasen, who is challenging Republican incumbent Gil Gutknecht, mentioned his primary focus would be national security and economic security.

&uot;There are a lot of folks out there who are consultants to Democratic congressional candidates. And one of the things they have been telling a lot to the candidates the last few months is, number one, keep your head down on national security, and number two, don’t talk about last year’s tax cut,&uot; said Andreasen. &uot;I think they are wrong on both counts.&uot;

Having served in the White House on the National Security Council staff, Andreasen pledged to draw on his expertise on the security issue, and be vocal about the Bush administration’s policy in his campaign.

Andreasen also said the diminishing federal budget surplus places Social Security and Medicare in danger. &uot;Our nation must be strong at home if we are to be strong overseas,&uot; he said.

House District 27A candidate Allan Halvorsen stressed that he would vigorously address disparity in education, transportation, health care and other state funding between urban and rural areas.

&uot;We need to be concerned about the quality of life in Minnesota,&uot; he said. &uot;We have a great quality of life compared to many other states. But I think it’s going down. We need to stop that.&uot;

Dan Sparks, running for the State Senate in District 27, pledged his commitment to small farms, job creation and education. The Austin banker said his campaign in Mower County has been successful, and he hopes to extend it to Freeborn County.

Andreason is challenging incumbent Republican Gil Gutknecht; Halvorsen faces Republican Dan Dorman; and Sparks is taking on Republican incumbent Grace Schwab and Terry Kelley of the Independence Party.