Dahlberg raises more than $100K for Senate campaign

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Chris Dahlberg of Duluth says he raised $103,048 during his first three months as a candidate.

Dahlberg, a St. Louis County Commissioner, launched his campaign in September. He joined Republicans Mike McFadden, state Sen. Julianne Ortmann, state Rep. Jim Abeler and Monti Moreno in the race to become DFL Sen. Al Franken’s opponent in the 2014 midterm election.

A lengthy recount and lawsuit determined Franken won the 2008 Senate election defeating Republican Sen. Norm Coleman by only 312 votes. Republicans are eager for this fall’s rematch. Franken has not yet reported his year-end fundraising numbers, nor have any Dahlberg’s fellow Republican hopefuls.

Republican Mike McFadden reported in early January that his campaign raised $780,000 in the last quarter of 2013 and  had $1.7 million in cash.   Franken reported raising $2.1 million during the forth quarter of 2013, leaving him with $4.8 million in the bank.

Dahlberg says he had nearly $50,000 on hand to start 2014. He said he thinks he will be the best candidate to take on Franken.

“Any credible Republican can get support from Republicans, but what good does that do if the candidate then gets clobbered in the general election?” Dahlberg said in a press release. “We need a candidate who’s not only a strong conservative, but one who has also proven an ability to appeal to Democrats and Independents. I’m that candidate.”

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