Haley Barbour Backs George LeMieux to Challenge Bill Nelson

Former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, who is now running in the Republican primary to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012, unveiled a major endorsement on Monday from Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi.

"George is a solid conservative who served the people of Florida well in the U.S. Senate. I am happy to lend my support to his campaign, said Barbour, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) who some Republicans were hoping would enter the 2012 presidential race.

"I am honored to earn the support of a principled conservative like Haley Barbour, said LeMieux. When Governor Barbour was RNC chairman, he helped orchestrate the Republican Revolution in 1994 that built the type of conservative majorities we need to turn our country around. More importantly, from his leadership during Hurricane Katrina to his work passing key pro-life legislation, Governor Barbour is a case study in effective conservative governance."

"Every day, Republican activists and donors are joining our campaign because they know that George LeMieux is the proven conservative who will retire Bill Nelson and end Harry Reid's reign as majority leader, insisted Brian Seitchik, LeMieuxs campaign manager.