Endorsements in the 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries

This article is a list of endorsements made by members of the 112th United States Congress and other elected officials during the 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries. Endorsements of statesmen and celebrities are also important to candidates. Late in the Republican race cycle, Romney toured Israel and Poland after a visit to the London 2012 Olympics. He received the endorsement of former president of Poland Lech Wałęsa, and soon after, the endorsement of actor Clint Eastwood. The winning of endorsements, also known as the Endorsement Race or Endorsement Derby, is argued to be a vital feature of the United States presidential race and the political party system.

+ Cumulative endorsements Candidate Endorsement by: Total Governor Senate House Jon Huntsman Jr. (withdrawn) 0 0 1 1 Tim Pawlenty (withdrawn) 0 0 2 2 Ron Paul 0 0 3 3 Rick Santorum (withdrawn) 0 0 6 6 Rick Perry (withdrawn) 1 1 9 11 Newt Gingrich (withdrawn) 1 0 11 12 Mitt Romney 19 28 85 132

__TOC__

Tier 1 Former Presidents of the United States Former President Party State Endorsement Date NotesReference Jimmy CarterDemocraticGeorgiaMitt RomneySeptember 15, 201139th President of the United States George H. W. Bush Republican Texas Mitt Romney March 28, 2012 41st President of the United States43rd Vice President of the United States George W. Bush Republican Texas Mitt Romney May 15, 2012 43rd President of the United States

Withdrawn 2012 Republican candidates Former candidate Party State Endorsement Date NotesReference Tim Pawlenty Republican Minnesota Mitt Romney 9.12.2011 Thaddeus McCotter Republican Michigan Mitt Romney September 22, 2011 Gary Johnson Republican/Libertarian New Mexico Ron Paul December 28, 2011 Encouraged support for Paul in Republican primaries, but his own candidacy (Libertarian) in the general election. Jon Huntsman Jr. Republican Utah Mitt Romney January 16, 2012 Herman Cain Republican Georgia Mitt Romney April 17, 2012 Originally endorsed Newt Gingrich on January 28, 2012 Rick Perry Republican Texas Mitt Romney April 26, 2012 Originally endorsed Newt Gingrich on January 19, 2012 Michele Bachmann Republican Minnesota Mitt Romney 5.3.2012 Newt Gingrich Republican Georgia Mitt Romney 5.6.2012 Rick Santorum Republican Pennsylvania Mitt Romney 5.7.2012

Current Governors Governor Party State or Territory Endorsement Date NotesReference Terry Branstad Republican Iowa Mitt Romney 4.10.2012 Jan Brewer Republican Arizona Mitt Romney February 26, 2012 Sam Brownback Republican Kansas Rick Perry (withdrawn) September 22, 2011 2008 presidential candidate Phil Bryant Republican Mississippi Mitt Romney 3.8.2012 Eddie Calvo Republican Guam Mitt Romney 3.9.2012 Chris Christie Republican New Jersey Mitt Romney 10.11.2011 Mitch Daniels Republican Indiana Mitt Romney April 18, 2012 Nathan Deal Republican Georgia Newt Gingrich (withdrawn) December 13, 2011 Benigno Fitial Republican Northern Mariana Islands Mitt Romney 3.9.2012 Luis Fortuño Republican Puerto Rico Mitt Romney January 27, 2012 Bill Haslam Republican Tennessee Mitt Romney 1.11.2012 Nikki Haley Republican South Carolina Mitt Romney December 16, 2011 Dave Heineman Republican Nebraska Mitt Romney 6.10.2011 Gary Herbert Republican Utah Mitt Romney February 2, 2012 Bobby Jindal Republican Louisiana Mitt Romney 4.10.2012 Originally endorsed Rick Perry on 9.12.2011 Bob McDonnell Republican Virginia Mitt Romney January 20, 2012 Butch Otter Republican Idaho Mitt Romney June 20, 2011 Rick Perry Republican Texas Mitt Romney April 26, 2012 Originally endorsed Newt Gingrich on January 19, 2012 Brian Sandoval Republican Nevada Mitt Romney 4.11.2012 Originally endorsed Rick Perry on September 13, 2012 Rick Scott Republican Florida Mitt Romney 4.10.2011 Rick Snyder Republican Michigan Mitt Romney February 16, 2012

Current Senators Senator Party State Endorsement Date NotesReference Lamar Alexander Republican Tennessee Mitt Romney February 24, 2012 Kelly Ayotte Republican New Hampshire Mitt Romney November 20, 2011 John Barrasso Republican Wyoming Mitt Romney April 13, 2012 Roy Blunt Republican Missouri Mitt Romney September 20, 2011 Scott Brown Republican Massachusetts Mitt Romney Richard Burr Republican North Carolina Mitt Romney 11.29.11 Tom Coburn Republican Oklahoma Mitt Romney 3.4.12 Thad Cochran Republican Mississippi Mitt Romney 10.12.2011 Mike Enzi Republican Wyoming Mitt Romney April 13, 2012 Lindsey Graham Republican South Carolina Mitt Romney 4.10.2011 Orrin Hatch Republican Utah Mitt Romney 7.6.2011 Dean Heller Republican Nevada Mitt Romney 4.11.2012 John Hoeven Republican North Dakota Mitt Romney November 18, 2011 Kay Bailey Hutchison Republican Texas Mitt Romney May 15, 2012 Jim Inhofe Republican Oklahoma Rick Perry (withdrawn) August 28, 2011 Mike Johanns Republican Nebraska Mitt Romney December 21, 2011 Ron Johnson Republican Wisconsin Mitt Romney 4.1.2012 Mark Kirk Republican Illinois Mitt Romney December 19, 2011 Jon Kyl Republican Arizona Mitt Romney April 20, 2012 Minority Whip of the United States Senate Mike Lee Republican Utah Mitt Romney March 26, 2012 John McCain Republican Arizona Mitt Romney 1.4.2012 2008 Republican presidential nominee Mitch McConnell Republican Kentucky Mitt Romney April 17, 2012 Minority Leader of the United States Senate Lisa Murkowski Republican Alaska Mitt Romney 12.2.2011 Rand Paul Republican Kentucky Mitt Romney 6.7.2012 Originally endorsed his father, Ron Paul Rob Portman Republican Ohio Mitt Romney January 19, 2012 Jim Risch Republican Idaho Mitt Romney June 20, 2011 Marco Rubio Republican Florida Mitt Romney March 28, 2012 John Thune Republican South Dakota Mitt Romney November 23, 2011 Pat Toomey Republican Pennsylvania Mitt Romney 4.10.2012

Current Representatives