MINOT - Matt Mechtel still plans to do some farming this summer while he's running for Congress. But he'll have a cell phone and a laptop in his tractor cab, and will rely on its automated guidance system for help in steering.

North Dakota Republicans picked Mechtel, a rural Cass County resident who has never sought political office, on Sunday as their candidate to run against U.S. Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D. Mechtel defeated state Rep. Duane DeKrey, R-Pettibone, by 15 votes, 270 to 255.

Separately, Republicans endorsed Dwight Grotberg, who farms near Sanborn in rural Barnes County, to oppose incumbent U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D. Grotberg, 39, was unopposed. He is also running his first political race.

Grotberg said he would work to coax Democratic voters, as well as Republicans and independents, to support him.

"I pledge to run a positive, respectful, uplifting campaign that draws the swing vote in our direction," Grotberg said. "I have many good neighbors who are Democrats. It's time to win some of these North Dakotans over to our side."

Republicans and Democrats both concluded their state conventions on Sunday. The GOP met in Minot, the Democrats in Fargo.

Although DeKrey had backing from Republican state lawmakers and ranking officials - Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem gave a seconding speech for DeKrey's nomination - delegates said they were impressed by Mechtel's energy and presence.

DeKrey conceded that Mechtel held a charisma advantage and praised his campaign effort.

"Matt did a much better job of courting the vote. He was much more dynamic and much more upbeat," DeKrey said. "I'm kind of the back room guy that gets the work done. I'm not the guy that's up front, charging everybody up, and he definitely is, and I think that's why he's going to make an excellent candidate."

Mechtel has been a critic of political action committee and special interest campaign contributions, and said Sunday he would not take them if he is elected to Congress. He said he would consider accepting those donations during his campaign against Pomeroy, citing the Democratic incumbent's fundraising advantage.

DeKrey questioned the strategy, saying it would bar Mechtel from accepting campaign support from sympathetic groups, such as the North Dakota Farm Bureau and the National Rifle Association.

"He seems to be pretty confident that he can raise the money, and I'll give him the benefit of the doubt," DeKrey said. "He certainly meets people well, and he's aggressive, and that's what it is going to take to raise that much cash."

Mechtel, 37, farms near Page, raising soybeans and corn. He is chairman of the Northern Crops Council, which oversees the Northern Crops Institute at North Dakota State University. He is a former chairman of the North Dakota Soybean Council.

He said he will devote most of his time to campaigning but will still work on his farm. His tractors are equipped with an automated guidance system, which will allow him to do campaign business and field work at the same time, he said.

"You'll still find me in the tractor, but you'll also find me in there with a cell phone hooked up to e-mail service. You'll find me in there with a laptop computer. I'll be doing business," he said. "I'll be able to multitask."

Mechtel prepared a campaign video for delegates that related his life story, including his one-time ambition to work as a fashion designer or chef. A small electric cart led his parade of supporters on the convention floor, and his delegate hospitality room was equipped with two popcorn machines.

DeKrey said he had deliberately run a less elaborate campaign, saying Republican campaign money should be deployed against Pomeroy instead.

Mechtel's name did not come up publicly as a potential House candidate until late February. He formally entered the GOP endorsement race March 23, holding a news conference at the Fargo skin care business of his sister, Melissa Rogne. Rogne, who was a Republican convention delegate, nominated Mechtel for the race Sunday.

"We got a late start, but we are organizing, we keep on organizing, we get our machine put together and start running," Mechtel said. "People are looking for something new. People aren't looking for the status quo … They're looking for a North Dakota story, a North Dakota boy done good, and here I am."

Jim Fuglie, the state Democratic director, said Conrad and Pomeroy "will welcome these two men to the race." In the meantime, Fuglie said, the two Democrats will be "fighting to save Social Security, to improve the Medicare program, to write a new farm bill and to develop a sound energy policy to address these outrageous fuel prices."

"The campaign will start after Labor Day," Fuglie said. "That's soon enough."