House majority leader Tim Pawlenty won by a nose in a straw poll for the gubernatorial endorsement race taken at the first congressional district Republican convention this weekend. The area GOP delegates also unanimously endorsed incumbent Gil Gutknecht for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Of 285 delegates from Southern Minnesota counties, 149 voted for Pawlenty in the non-binding poll, while Twin Cities businessman Brian Sullivan attracted 130 votes.

In recent months, Pawlenty and Sullivan have been competing fiercely to win the party endorsement. During Saturday’s convention and a banquet held the previous night, both candidates addressed to the party delegates.

Pawlenty pointed to his leadership in the legislature that realized the biggest tax cut in Minnesota history, while Sullivan emphasized that his hand-on business experience would bring further improvements.

Both of them, based in the Twin Cities area, have shown their commitments to rural Minnesota by picking a farm-oriented legislator as their candidate for lieutenant governor. Sullivan was particularly enthusiastic about mitigating his white-collar image, stressing a good principle could attract blue-collar voters.

During the convention, the delegates also elected Armin Tesch as the party’s chairman, Michelle Rifenberg as the deputy chairwoman, Linda Chambers as the secretary and David Groteluschen as the treasurer for the new first district GOP.