Dr. Brian Davis has a professional resume that just doesn’t quit.

There’s the degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Illinois and the work in nuclear power plant design and radioactive waste management. There are the master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

There’s the medical degree from the University of Illinois and the oncology practice at the Mayo Clinic.

Davis jokes that when his parents encouraged him to get a college education, he went a bit overboard. But the Illinois native also notes the work he did to earn money for college, including jobs as a furniture mover and janitor.

While Davis believes his background would be useful as the nation faces important energy and health-care decisions, he hasn’t made his biography a central part of his campaign. There is one skill he’s developed as a specialist in cancer treatment he believes would be helpful on a broader level if he’s elected.

He talks of the many times he’s gone into a room where a cancer patient and family members are waiting, tries to put them at ease and then discusses the sometimes tough choices they face.

“It does put things in perspective and also puts me in a position where I need to explain difficult things,” Davis said. “And I think when you’re running for office, you are put in a position where you have to answer a lot of questions in front of a lot of people.”

New to politics

Davis’ political experience is as shallow as his educational and professional background is deep.

A resident of Minnesota for a dozen years, he first became active in Republican politics when he began thinking of running against Walz. Generally pleased with the representation he’d received from Republican Congressman Gil Gutknecht (who Walz defeated, ending a 12-year-run in the House), Davis didn’t like the direction the new Democratic majority was headed in 2007.

Despite his inexperience, Davis knocked off two veteran Republican state lawmakers in the GOP endorsement process and in the September primary election. He raised more than $1 million in campaign donations, although more than $300,000 was in the form of loans and contributions he made personally.

Described as “a brilliant guy” who is “also deeply conservative” by John Hinderaker, one of the founders of the influential conservative Web log Power Line, Davis doesn’t comment on the “brilliant” part but agrees with the description of his political philosophy.

He’s an opponent of abortion and gay marriage, is doubtful that fossil fuel consumption is the primary reason for global climate change and opposes embryonic stem cell research. He wants to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, would like to eliminate the estate tax and would be interested in studying a nationwide sales tax as a replacement for income taxes.

Davis doesn’t expect a majority of voters in the 1st District agree with him on all of those stances, but he’s confident he can win the race.