WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is resigning as a national co-chairman of Republican Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign to lobby for the financial services industry.

The Financial Services Roundtable announced Thursday that Pawlenty will become its new president and chief executive officer on November 1.

Pawlenty was an early entrant in the Republican presidential campaign, but he ended his bid last year amid poor polling before the primaries began. He was often mentioned as a potential running mate for Romney and has campaigned across the country for the nominee.

The Financial Services Roundtable said in a press release that Pawlenty was stepping down from the campaign because the group is a bipartisan organization.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)