The DFL had a banner year in 1982. It won two additional Congressional seats (5 out of eight), the House of Representatives (77 of 134 seats), the State Senate (42 out of 67) and the governorship. In September 1982 Hatch was instrumental in getting the DFL Party to endorse Rudy Perpich, who defeated DFL-endorsed candidate Warren Spannaus for governor in the primary election. It was the first time that the DFL endorsed a candidate for statewide office who had defeated the convention-endorsed candidate.