Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner, perhaps the most dogged of all the DFL gubernatorial candidates, has received the endorsement of children’s advocate and former Democratic congressional candidate Patty Wetterling.

“Like many of you,” Wetterling said in a statement, “I have refrained from making an early decision about who to support in the race for the governor of Minnesota. With so many DFL candidates in the field, it has been no small challenge to determine which candidate I believe will be the best choice to lead our state through this difficult time.”

So why Gaertner?

In her statement, Wetterling cited Gaertner’s “passionate commitment to the families and communities of her jurisdiction.” Specifically, Wetterling cited Gaertner’s Truancy Intervention Program, her work with the Joint Domestic Abuse Prosecution Unit, which coordinates cases across several jurisdictions, and her work in improving collections of child support.

But Wetterling also seemed to take a jab at those on the left, who are upset with Gaertner’s prosecution of cases stemming from last summer’s Republican National Convention, writing of “the moral integrity of a prosecutor who does right rather than what is popular.’’

Gaertner was one of the first candidates in the governor’s race and has been running since last summer.

As the DFL candidate Wetterling lost her bid for the 6th Congressional District seat to Republicans Mark Kennedy in 2004 and Michele Bachmann in 2006.