organizations, and gay rights supporters opposed the "Centrists," who tried to end the sub-caucus system but were defeated by a united coalition of pro-life and pro-choice activists. Hatch "ran the party with a focus on winning elections and an intense dislike of its internal squabbles." By 1982 the "Centrists" began exerting influence on party affairs, and the interest groups turned their focus on Hatch for organizing the group. Nonetheless, the "Centrists" remained an influence in the 1982 elections, stifling the intraparty fights between the interest groups during an important election campaign. A longtime political reporter said of Hatch's tenure as chair: "He worked to rebuild the bitterly divided, debt-ridden DFL Party after its disastrous 1978 election losses. He showed his prowess, both at raising money and organization building. He raised $50,000 to pay off the mortgage and head off the foreclosure on the party headquarters in south Minneapolis, scrounged up another $50,000 to buy a state-of-the-art, 5-megabyte computer the size of a piano, and raised a total of $1.2 million. The DFL is believed to be the first Democratic Party in the country to use the technology of computers, direct mail and telemarketing." 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. In January 1983, Perpich appointed Hatch commissioner of Securities and Real Estate. Commissioner of Commerce On December 7, 1982, Governor Perpich appointed Hatch commissioner of the Department of Securities and Real Estate. Hatch's first task was to reorganize the Department of Insurance, the Department of Banking, and the Department of Securities and Real Estate into one Minnesota Department of Commerce. The reorganization was completed in July 1983. Insurance company accountability The Minnesota insurance industry was largely unregulated in 1983. The Associated Press wrote that "Hatch vigorously embraced the role of consumer advocate." One of his first actions as commissioner was to create an enforcement division that eventually handled 40,000 complaints a year from the public. Hatch proposed a series of regulations to provide protections