In the fifth installment of Basie!'s Minnesota Watch series (here, here, here and here), we note the relative success of Democratic fundraising in the state. CQ Today's Midday Update (free email service) passes on Greg Gordon's article in the Star Tribune:

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, raised $580,000 in five weeks for her anticipated campaign for the Senate seat of retiring Sen. Mark Dayton, D-Minn., her campaign announced Tuesday. That surpassed the fundraising of child safety advocate Patty Wetterling, her likely primary opponent. Wetterling will report raising $330,000 in three weeks, her campaign said. “Klobuchar’s dialing for dollars also outdistanced Rep. Mark Kennedy, the Republican frontrunner, whose campaign said he raised $550,000 in the quarter. Klobuchar’s campaign ended the three-month period with about $560,000 in cash, while Kennedy had $510,000, their campaigns said.” Former GOP Sen. Rod Grams said he has not begun fundraising.

Dayton's seat will not be easy for the Democrats to hold in 2006, but at Chuck Todd noted last month,

Ninety-nine times out of 100, a party is better off with an incumbent seeking re-election. Meet the one-time exception.

If the Democrats want to retake the Senate, they must hold Dayton's seat. Klobuchar's fundraising efforts have been very impressive so far. It will be interesting to see if she is able to keep it up.