Worthington Daily Globe Editorial: Davis in the Hunt

Worthington Daily Globe
Published Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Brian Davis may be a political novice — he has never held public office — but he certainly appears poised to give incumbent First District Rep. Tim Walz a good run in November.

Davis has been on the scene raising money in his bid to challenge Walz for nearly a year now and, perhaps more importantly, is the GOP-endorsed candidate for the district. Currently a Mayo Clinic physician and a one-time engineer in the electric industry, Davis will face a primary challenge from District 26 Sen. Dick Day, but it appears evident that Davis has the momentum at this juncture.

Though Davis didn’t talk about it while visiting the Daily Globe recently, he’s extremely well educated. He has master’s and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and he earned his M.D. at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Along with that pedigree comes the type of conservatism that helped Republican Gil Gutknecht return repeatedly to Washington to serve this district before his loss to newcomer Walz in 2006. Davis is already urging Congress — and fellow Republicans — to pass a new Federal Taxpayer Bill of Rights that would cap federal spending. To reform health care, he wants to (in part) guarantee more competition, not less. He wants more domestic oil and natural and gas exploration, and less government-imposed conservation mandates. He favors immediate construction of a southern border fence and, intriguingly, favors referendums in Iraq and Afghanistan regarding our continued military presence there.

Davis clearly poses a contrast to Walz. Time will tell if voters see that as favorable.