Campaign Notebook: Republican Field Shrinks in CD1

Mark Meyer, the Republican school board member seen in many quarters as engaging in a quixotic quest for the Republican nomination in Minnesota’s First congressional district, withdrew from the race Tuesday and endorsed Randy Demmer, one of three remaining candidates.  What does this mean for the remaining Republican candidates, State Sen. Dick Day and Mayo Clinic physician Brian Davis?Not much, in all likelihood.  Meyer struggled to raise significant sums of money for his bid, and a withdrawal now means that political capital probably wasn’t flowing very well either.

Brian Davis also chose Tuesday to publicize a high-profile endorsement for his campaign, that of former Sen. Rudy Boschwitz.  In a Davis campaign press release, Boschwitz said Davis would be “absolutely unique in Congress in dealing with the nation’s most pressing problems,” a reference to Davis’ medical background.  However, as in the case of Meyer, the effect of this endorsement is, at best, unclear:  The last time Boschwitz appeared on a statewide ballot was 1996, almost six election cycles ago, and that was in a loss to Paul Wellstone.

On the other hand, he has raised large sums of money for President Bush in both of his campaigns for the White House, reaching Pioneer and Ranger thresholds in 2000 and 2004.  Only if Boschwitz is willing to put his still-considerable fundraising and behind-the-scenes clout to work on Davis’ behalf will this endorsement mean more than a photo-op and a good media day.