ROCHESTER — Minnesota Republicans endorsed investment banker Mike McFadden on Saturday for U.S. Senate, likely sparing him a hard primary fight and offering him a clearer path to a November challenge to Democratic Sen. Al Franken.

The outcome came as somewhat of a surprise because McFadden didn’t agree to abide by the convention’s decision heading in. That is usually a deal-breaker for delegates.

“This is not the end. This is not the beginning of the end,” McFadden told the convention as he accepted the endorsement. “This is only the end of the beginning.”

McFadden stressed his ability to raise the millions needed to wage an effective campaign. He says his experience in the business sector would provide a clear contrast with Franken.

McFadden overtook St. Louis County Commissioner Chris Dahlberg for the win after 10 ballots. The race featured six candidates at the outset. One of them, state Rep. Jim Abeler, is still mulling a primary campaign but said the McFadden win “raises the bar” on the race.

So far, Minnesota’s race isn’t among the nation’s most competitive in the fight for Senate control, but Republicans hope McFadden puts it on the map.

Exhausted delegates had hoped to finish their work the night before to clear the decks for an endorsement battle for Minnesota governor. But they had to break for a seven-hour recess. Things turned dramatically after that and Dahlberg’s lead evaporated.

McFadden scooped up the backing of retiring U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann early in the day, a pivotal pickup.

“While I applaud each candidate who has worked so hard to secure our party’s nomination, it is my belief that Mike McFadden is the candidate that can best bring the fight to Senator Franken,” Bachmann said in a written statement. She remains popular with the conservatives who make up a large share of the delegate pool.

Franken was in Duluth to gain his own party’s endorsement for a second term. He has millions of dollars stocked up.

The candidates, delegates and other party leaders swung hard at Franken, the Democrat who squeaked into office after a recount and court case in which he edged Republican Sen. Norm Coleman by 312 votes. They blamed him for the health insurance law requiring people to carry coverage because his election provided a crucial 60th Senate vote. And they said he hasn’t stood up to President Barack Obama when it counted.

Coleman begged his party to not let Franken slip by again.

“In 2014, whoever our candidate is chosen to run against Al Franken, I ask that you stand with me and make sure there is no recount and there is no do-over,” he said.

Minnesota DFL Chairman Ken Martin said McFadden is “wrong for Minnesota.” Democrats have hammered McFadden over his business record since his entry into the race last year.

“One year later, he’s secured the Republican endorsement — after 10 ballots, by the skin of his teeth and only with an endorsement from Tea-Party extremist Michele Bachmann — running on a platform of touting his ability to raise money, and policy positions that would continue to hurt Minnesota families masked in platitudes and poll-tested talking points,” Martin wrote in a statement.