ST. PAUL  — U.S. Senate hopeful Julianne Ortman is literally running for office in her debut television commercial explaining why she’s in the Minnesota race.

Ortman launched the ad Tuesday ahead of this weekend’s Republican state convention. In it, she laces up her running shoes as a way to convey her determination. She confesses she’s not a fast runner or an athlete but says “when I start, I finish.”

The state senator from Chanhassen is a contender for the GOP nomination to face Democratic Sen. Al Franken in November. Ortman is pinning her hopes on snagging the party endorsement to boost her primary election chances.

Federal TV records show the ad won’t run many times, but it makes her the third Senate candidate on the air along with Franken and businessman Mike McFadden.