Peterson and McCall in Draw for 56B GOP Endorsement

The bid for the Republican endorsement for House District 56B still hangs in the balance after Saturday's convention, with and unable to get 60 percent of the vote needed to secure the party's endorsement.

It would be an understatement to call it a close race, said Ayrlahn Johnson, chair of the Republican party for Senate District 56.

"We had four ballots and we flip-flopped at least twice, three times actually," Johnson said. "It was pretty much deadlocked."

The party was no closer to the necessary 60 percent consensus after delegates cast their votes for the fourth and final time. In fact, the race was closer than ever: McCall and Peterson split the vote 54 to 53, separated by a single slip of paper. There wasn't enough time, Johnson said, to cast another ballot. Instead, another convention will need to be held in the next 30 days to break the tie.

This is just the latest wrinkle to emerge after the departure of Mary Liz Holberg, the incumbent assigned to the House District 56B, shortly after the redistricting plan unveiled in .

In fact, Johnson said the GOP in the new Senate District 56 is something of a new entity with the newly shuffled boundaries. It is mostly a Burnsville and Savage seat, Johnson said, with just three Lakeville precincts within its borders.

But Johnson said the newcomers from Lakeville are very politically active and the party's new dynamic is still in flux, as evidenced by the stalemate between Peterson and McCall, a well-known conservative activist from Burnsville.

Johnson said the two are each formidable candidates in their own right.

"The issue is we have two quality candidates and the delegates haven't decided which will represent us the best and beat (Democrat) Will Morgan," Johnson said.

McCall was not available for comment, but Peterson said she was eager for the next round.

"It was very exciting and I'm looking forward to doing it all over again," Peterson said on Monday. "I guess I was the clear underdog in the beginning, but the key is connect with the delegates and see what they care about and if I can align my interests with theirs." 

Peterson said she would spend the next month campaigning for delegates in Burnsville, where she's less well known.

Peterson, if she wins the seat, would have to resign from , where she's been a member since 2007. Her term is slated to run through Dec. 31, 2014.