It’s been a week since I announced that I was exiting the race for Governor to run for State Auditor, the position I held from 2003-2007. My announcement touched off a wave of speculation about whether or not Sen. Norm Coleman was going to enter the race. Today Sen. Coleman ended the speculation when he announced would not run for Governor in 2010.

As I noted in my remarks to the media, the decision to run for political office is never strictly a personal decision. People put their trust and their treasure in your campaign, and that loyalty must be honored. I know Norm’s decision was a difficult one but it was ultimately the right decision for our party at this time. Thank you, Norm for doing the right thing for yourself, your family and our cause.

All of the other leading gubernatorial candidates have pledged to abide by the endorsement.  This means that in a few short months, our field will be set, united and ready to take on the Democrats.  I look forward to that battle.

In my twenty-plus years of working for our party, I have always believed the “cause” is more important than any one candidate, myself included.  That’s why I believe my switch to the State Auditor’s race was also the right thing to do for our ticket.  We have many good candidates running for Governor, but fewer in the down-ballot constitutional offices.  We still have no candidate for Attorney General.

The outpouring of support I have received in the past week confirms the wisdom of my entering the Auditor’s race. I’ve been calling donors and delegates since last Tuesday, and the response to my candidacy has been overwhelming. People who for months had been telling me they were waiting to see what Norm would do before supporting any candidate for Governor were immediate and enthusiastic in their support of my campaign for State Auditor.  And delegates who were supporting one of my opponents in the governor’s race are now offering to volunteer on my State Auditor campaign.

I have broad support across the party – from liberty Republicans to the Republican regulars who have been the backbone of the party through good times and bad. To be successful in 2010 we need to make one Republican Party out of many individual perspectives. My presence in the State Auditor’s race is certainly aiding in that effort, and I will continue to work towards unifying the Party.

Thank you for your continuing support.

Pat

BTW — Visit our new Website for more updates on the campaign and the issues. For those who missed the announcement last Tuesday, we have a video of my press conference, including the Q&A session with the media up on the site. And if you haven’t already, you can sign up to follow the campaign on Facebook and Twitter. In just one week we surpassed the 1,000 fan mark on Facebook. Let’s keep it going.

One final request. If you plan to attend your local caucus and are supporting Pat for State Auditor, please respond to this email and let us know. Provide your name, hometown and BPOU or senate district number. Pat appreciates your support!