DOVER, N.H. (AP) – His success at fund-raising aside, Democratic presidential John Edwards said Sunday he realizes it will take more time than money to succeed in New Hampshire.

The North Carolina senator raised $7.4 million in the first quarter, the most of the nine Democrats running for the presidential nomination. But in recent polls of New Hampshire primary voters, he hasn’t risen above 4 percent.

“I spent the first quarter of this year spending lot of time around country raising money, but as I move through the rest of year, I intend to work extremely here in New Hampshire,” he said in a phone interview. “My job as candidate, my responsibility as a candidate, is to spend so much time here that everyone knows who I am, what kind of person I am and what my vision for America is. If I accomplish that I will be satisfied.”

Edwards spent the weekend wooing party activists and potential supporters. Sunday’s schedule included a house party at the home of former state Sen. Bev Hollingworth and a “meet the candidate” gathering at a Dover restaurant.

Edwards said most of the voters he approached listed the economy as their top concern.

, which fit with the main message of his visit: President Bush is mismanaging the economy.

“He’s dealing with serious economic problems by pushing budget-busting tax cuts for the richest people in the country,” Edwards said.

Edwards said he would cut taxes for the middle class, while sending $50 billion more to the states to increase jobs, boost homeland security and Medicaid, and meet the federal government’s obligation to fund its education mandates.

AP-ES-04-27-03 1605EDT

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