Conversation so far:
What significance did the state budget have in Pawlenty's life?
Tim Pawlenty was elected in 2002 on a platform of balancing the state's budget without raising taxes.
What office was Tim Pawlenty elected to in 2002?
Tim Pawlenty served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota.
Are there any other interesting aspects about Tim Pawlenty?
In 2011, Tim Pawlenty entered the campaign for the Republican presidential nomination and later was a potential vice presidential nominee before serving as co-chair of Mitt Romney's campaign.

Question: For how many years did he serve as governor?
Self-contained rewrite: For how many years did Tim Pawlenty serve as governor?