Public Service Commissioner Kevin Cramer said you wouldn't pull a horse out of a race just because he is in second place.

Republicans apparently chose to take Cramer's advice on Saturday when they endorsed Doug Goehring to run for agricultural commissioner.

Goehring lost the 2004 election to incumbent Roger Johnson, a Democrat, by only 1,878 votes of a total of 297,956 votes cast.

Cramer and others in the party are confident that the close race in 2004 will help propel Goehring to the winner's circle in November.

Gov. John Hoeven, who described Goehring as "genuine," said Goehring has a good chance because his name recognition has increased since the 2004 race.

"The fact that he's running for a second time means that he starts with a lot of the groundwork already done," Hoeven said.

Hoeven said that, if Goehring works even harder in his second campaign, he could get the edge he needs to defeat Johnson.

Running a second time doesn't guarantee a candidate will do better than the first, but it does give a candidate valuable experience.

"You're always a better candidate the second time around," said Sen. Dwight Cook, R-Mandan.

Goehring will need the experience because he'll have to overcome more than $80,000 in campaign contributions Johnson has raised since the last race.

Cramer said the money will be a challenge, but the position Goehring is in after coming off the close election is worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Jim Fuglie, executive director of the Democratic-NPL party, said Goehring's momentum will slow after the convention and that he will have a tough time gaining ground against Johnson's campaign contributions and popularity.

"Roger is much better prepared than last time," Fuglie said.

Goehring, who said he will work even harder this election than last, summed up his nomination speech by borrowing a quote from the late football coach Vince Lombardi.

"We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time," Goehring said.

(Reach reporter Tom Rafferty at 250-8264 or tom.rafferty@;bismarcktribune.com.)