Jun 1, 2006 10:42 pm US/Central
Bar Owner Not Giving Up On GOP Endorsement
Minneapolis (AP) ―
Scrappy bar owner Sue Jeffers won't get the chance to challenge Gov. Tim Pawlenty for the Republican Party's endorsement.
A 19-member committee forwarded only Pawlenty's name to the convention for endorsement on Friday.
Jeffers, who owns Stub & Herbs near the University of Minnesota, wanted delegates to choose between herself and the incumbent. She said Pawlenty has strayed from the party's fiscally conservative values.
"I felt like the Republican Party wasn't welcoming me with open arms to challenge their incumbent," Jeffers said after appearing before the screening committee.
Jeffers, who has previously described herself as a libertarian, wouldn't rule out challenging Pawlenty in a primary or as a third-party candidate in November.
"I'm not a quitter," she said. "I'm not going to give up."
Michael Krueger, Pawlenty's campaign spokesman, said the campaign didn't play a role in the decision to keep Jeffers out of the endorsement mix. He said Pawlenty isn't worried about Jeffers' candidacy.
Margaret Cavanaugh, chairwoman of the nominating committee, said the panel looked at past Republican involvement and viability when determining which candidates to recommend. She said Jeffers hasn't been involved in local level Republican politics and was evasive under questioning.
The committee, which made a unanimous decision, also had trouble getting past Jeffers' libertarian ties.
"That would be like Mike Hatch coming over and asking us to endorse him," Cavanaugh said, referring to the Democratic attorney general and gubernatorial candidate.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
