Minnesota Senate Deputy Majority Leader Julianne Ortman turned back a primary challenger, who said she was not conservative enough for the district.

Ortman, a Republican from Chanhassen who is the Senate's tax committee chair, could not convince the Republican activists who showed up for a spring endorsing convention to give her their nod but handily won district Republicans' votes Tuesday night.

With about 90 percent of the vote counted, she garnered 58 percent of the vote to challenger Bruce Schwichtenberg's 42 percent. Neither candidate won the GOP endorsement.

"Being angry does not equate to being conservative," said Ortman. ""You need to have principle and reason."