On the last leg of a nearly week long bus tour of the state, DFL party leaders gathered in Eden Prairie Monday afternoon to encourage suburban voters to get out and vote DFL from the top of the ticket on down.

Michele Bachmann, running for her fourth term representing Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional district, pulled in just more than $1 million in the month of July, easily surpassing her fellow Minnesota Congressmen and women in total fundraising hauls, as well as her Democratic opponent Jim Graves, who raised $64,000 in that period.

Minnesota House and Senate candidates took in more than $6 million during the second quarter of 2012, according to reports filed with the Federal Elections Commission. U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann raked in the biggest haul at $1.9 million. That's more than six times the amount raised by DFL challenger Jim Graves in the Sixth Congressional District.

Brian Barnes and Jim Graves both won DFL endorsement at a pair of conventions this weekend. They will challenge GOP incumbents this fall.

U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen raised $317,000 in the final three months of 2011 and finished the year with more than $1 million in his campaign account.

Steve Simon, a four-term assistant minority leader in the House, announced the endorsement in a letter sent to DFLers on Tuesday. In endorsing Brian Barnes, Simon is skipping over DFL candidate and rental property owner Sharon Sund, who is also actively campaigning for the DFL endorsement in the race.

Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District should be a battleground in 2012. That’s what the demographics say, at any rate. The Cook Partisan Voting Index ranks it “even” in terms of party edge.

U.S. Navy veteran and marketing executive Brian Barnes is seeking the DFL nomination to take on two-term GOP incumbent Erik Paulsen in the Third Congressional District. Barnes officially announced his candidacy at a Capitol press conference on Monday.