Three of the candidates running for the Republican presidential nomination unveiled endorsements this week in New Hampshire -- home of the first presidential primary.
Former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts has built strong leads in most polls of the Granite State and he looked to add to that margin on Thursday when he announced the backing of state Sen. David Boutin, R-Hooksett, who becomes the seventh member of the New Hampshire Senate to support his presidential bid.
David Boutin has been a tireless advocate for the traditional New Hampshire principles of lower taxes, limited government and less spending, said Romney in a statement released Thursday. I am honored to have earned his support and pleased that he has agreed to join my campaign to create jobs and grow our economy.
Mitt Romney understands that our country cant continue spending more than we take in. Mitt recognizes the extraordinary challenges facing our country and he has laid out bold plans to cut spending, jump-start our economy and create jobs, said Boutin. As a fiscally responsible governor, Mitt balanced budgets and as a successful businessman he turned around struggling enterprises. He has the executive experience, the skills and the fiscally conservative values needed to defeat President Obama and restore fiscal sanity to Washington.
Boutin became the 16th New Hampshire legislator to back Romney this week. On Tuesday, 15 Republicans in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, led by Assistant Majority Leader David Hess, R-Hooksett, announced they were backing Romney.
Romney also featured one of his most prominent Granite State supporters on Tuesday when he and the other Republican presidential hopefuls clashed in a debate in Las Vegas. Judd Gregg, who served four years as the states governor as well as eight years in the U.S. House and 18 years in the U.S. Senate, was front and center after the debate, insisting Romney had shown he was the best Republican to take on President Barack Obama in 2012.
While Romney unveiled the backing of Boutin on Thursday, another Republican presidential candidate who has doubled down on New Hampshire -- former Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah -- announced he'd picked up additional support in the Granite State. Huntsman received the endorsements of six New Hampshire state representatives.
As we hold town halls in communities across New Hampshire, the buzz has been extraordinary, Huntsman, who shut down his headquarters in Orlando and moved it to Manchester in recent weeks, said in a statement on Thursday. Our message of providing solutions instead of rhetoric for our countrys toughest problems is resonating with voters. I am thankful for the endorsement of these six representatives who want to ensure that we are able to put real leadership in the White House.
Also on Thursday, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania filed his paperwork to run in the New Hampshire primary. Besides filing in Concord, Santorum campaigned in Manchester and Hampstead on Thursday.
Santorum also unveiled endorsements from three New Hampshire legislators this week, bringing his total up to 14.
Santorum announced on Wednesday that he had received the backing of state Sen. Fenton Groen, R-Rochester, and two Republican state representatives -- John McDonnell of Chichester and John Sedensky of Hampstead.
"I am honored to have the endorsement of this esteemed group of New Hampshire conservatives, Santorum said. Fenton, John, and John understand the great hurdles facing our nation and what it will take to return to our founding principles. I am excited to work with each of them as we move closer to the first-in-the-nation primary and build the team necessary to emerge victorious."
Two dark-horse candidates also filed their paperwork to run in New Hampshire this week. Fred Karger, a veteran activist and Republican political operative, filed his paperwork on Monday. Former Gov. Buddy Roemer of Louisiana filed his papers on Wednesday.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
