The one opportunity to see Republican U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken square off — at least before September or October — should occur at Farmfest in rural Redwood Falls on Aug. 5.

Both have committed to participate in the Farmfest Forum, their initial joint appearance of the campaign and probably the last until sometime after the Sept. 9 primary election.

“This will the be the first time they’ve been together in the same debate or forum,” said forum coordinator Kent Thiesse of Lake Crystal. “I think this makes for a very unique opportunity for Farmfest.”

While Coleman isn’t expected to debate opponents until after the field is narrowed by the primary election, it’s not surprising he agreed to do Farmfest. The forum has become a must-do event for statewide candidates in the last several elections.

There should be plenty of time for Franken and Coleman to battle, too, because forum organizers decided not to open the event to all 18 candidates running for Senate. The only others on the stage will be endorsed Independence Party candidate Stephen Williams, an Austin farmer, and IP candidate Dean Barkley.

Barkley is the only unendorsed candidate, but he’s a former senator (finishing the final weeks of Sen. Paul Wellstone’s term following his death) and is the best-known of the IP candidates.

The Senate forum is at 10:30 a.m.

House candidates, too

At 1:30 p.m., congressional candidates will take the stage at Farmfest.

First District Congressman Tim Walz, DFL-Mankato, and his Republican opponents — endorsed candidate Brian Davis of Rochester and state Sen. Dick Day of Owatonna — have said they’ll be there.

From the 7th District, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson and Republican opponent Glen Menze of Starbuck are attending. Democratic challengers Steve Sarvi from the 2nd District and El Tinklenberg from the 6th also have committed, Thiesse said.

Erickson drops out

State Rep. Laura Brod’s primary challenge is over, almost before it started.

Brod, a New Prague Republican who represents Le Sueur County and part of Sibley County, briefly had a Republican challenger. But Alexander Louis Erickson II, a Belle Plaine construction company owner, apparently withdrew his candidacy and won’t be on the ballot in September.

Tim Siebsen of Montgomery will be Brod’s Democratic opponent on Nov. 4.

Sticks and stones

Two years ago, it appeared from Republican press releases that the Democratic candidate for Congress in southern Minnesota went by the initials “LTW.” Virtually every Republican news release referred to “Liberal Tim Walz.”

Walz went on to beat Congressman Gil Gutknecht, so Republican Party Chairman Ron Carey is trying a new one this campaign: “Washington Walz.”

The Democrats are also getting into the name game this time around. Starting this month, Walz’s Republican opponent has become “millionaire Dr. Brian Davis.” The state DFL and the Walz campaign have used it, and the national Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee upped the ante Wednesday by calling him “multi-millionaire Dr. Brian Davis.”

Davis says they’ve got the wrong guy.

“My wife read that and said, ‘I didn’t know we were millionaires,” Davis said. “I don’t believe our total assets, even with our house, that we’re over $1 million.”

Walz open to drilling

And then there are the issues. The Walz and Davis campaigns have been battling over gas and energy prices for weeks, and another sign that it’s an important election issue came with Walz releasing a statement saying he is open to expanded domestic drilling and oil production. Walz said the expanded drilling must be done in a responsible manner and must be part of a bipartisan package that also includes conservation and the rapid development of alternative fuels.

Both Davis and state Sen. Dick Day, who is challenging Davis in the Republican primary election, support expanded drilling and list the fuel topic as the top concern of voters in the 1st District.