ST. PAUL (WCCO) — Four days before the Republican convention, Minnesota’s Republican Candidate for the U.S. Senate, Kurt Bills, announced his support for presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

“I’m declaring my complete support for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan,” said Bills on Thursday.

Flanked by his two challengers for the Republican endorsement, Bills said it’s time for the party to unite behind Romney.

“I think it says that we are having a discussion with a lot of people young and old, all different races, colors, creeds ethnicities, ideologies. We’re having a great rediscovery of our conservative ideals right now,” said Bills.

Romney is in Minnesota Thursday night for private high buck fundraisers in Minnetonka. He’ll have no public appearances, however, which the Minnesota Obama campaign was quick to point out.

“There’s kind of a big difference between an American with President Obama and Joe Biden where everyone is welcome and Mitt Romney where you are locked inside a country club and charging $50,000 and not taking the tough questions you should be answering,” said Obama Campaign Chairman and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak.

Bills won’t be attending the Republican convention in Tampa next week. He says his time is better spent meeting Minnesotans at the State Fair.