Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, will deliver the keynote address at the 28th Annual WSRP Gala Dinner & Auction to be held Saturday, April 24 at the Bellevue Hilton.

Governor Pawlenty is serving his second term as the 39th governor of Minnesota, a term that concludes in 2011. Pawlenty’s career of public service includes experience as a city councilman, 10-year member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, four years of which he spent as House Majority Leader.

Pawlenty also served as Chairman of the National Governors Association. During the 2008 Presidential Election, he served as a national co-chair for Sen. John McCain, and since then he has remained a national figure in Republican politics.

“Governor Pawlenty is a rising star in GOP politics for several very good reasons,” said Luke Luke Esser, chair of the Washington State Republican Party. “The governor believes in common sense conservative principles, and has balanced his state’s budget three times without raising taxes, despite facing record budget deficits.

Ticket information for the WSRP’s 28th Gala Dinner & Auction is available at www.wsrp.org or by calling the WSRP at 425-460-0570.