After an unexpectedly long battle, former auditor Anderson wins endorsement

Before balloting began, former state auditor Pat Anderson saw a victory in her fight for the GOP nod to get her old job back: a would be endorsement opponent announced from the Minneapolis convention stage that he would drop out and back her.

Tom Conlon said Anderson was "the best state auditor we ever had."

But the woman who lost her job to Democrat Rebecca Otto in 2006 had a little harder time convincing delegates.

It took three ballots -- and more than three hours -- for Anderson to get the needed 60 percent to win her party's backing.

Her most serious challenge came from Randy Gilbert, the former Long Lake mayor, who won a little more than 30 percent on the first and second ballots.

Before the results of the third ballot were announced, he dropped out.

"This is a time for unity. This is time for us to get behind somebody and I'm behind Pat Anderson," Gilbert said.

"I'm going to keep this short because it's late," she said in victory. She invited delegates to her hospitality suite, thanked her competitors and quickly got off the stage.

She had said she would investigate light rail, JOBZ and look into pensions.

"We're going to have dramatic changes no matter who is governor," Anderson said. She has not endorsed anyone in the governor's race.

As someone who lost in a Democratic wave, she knows that the outcome of the auditor's race -- a down ballot race -- tends to flow with the tide. But she said she can win in a "neutral year." Many are predicting this year will be a good one for Republicans.

Anderson had run for governor earlier this year but dropped out to run for auditor.