U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa.) is one of the most sought after endorsements for the 2012 Republican presidential candidates, and it seems the Iowa Republican is still considering which candidate he will back in the coming 2012 race.
The veteran Iowan congressman is one of the most popular lawmakers in the Hawkeye state, and with the nation’s first primary election still seemingly wide open, a last minute announcement from him could sway undecided voters towards the candidate that he chooses to support. Asked over the weekend whether he will endorse a candidate, Mr. King hinted that he could announce a decision on Monday.
“With big decisions, at some point your intellect is overcome by your instincts — at least mine is,” said King, in an interview with RealClearPolitics. “If I make a bold decision in the next few days, it will be one of conviction, and I will be eager to advocate for that position and defend it against all critics, if I happen to have any, and I’m sure I will.”
Mr. King’s statement comes as a Des Moines Register poll released Saturday showed former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney leading Texas congressman Ron Paul by two percentage points, with former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum still surging into third place.
According to the poll, 41 percent of likely caucus goers are still open to changing their minds before Tuesday’s election.
Mr. King is the chairman of the Conservative Opportunity Society — a conservative group of House Republicans that meets weekly to discuss the conservative agenda in the House. The COS was originally founded by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who could use Mr. King’s endorsement to bolster support for his now fledgling campaign.
In 2010 Mr. Gingrich endorsed Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann for the House Republican Conference Chair. Ms. Bachmann could also use his endorsement as she has failed to restore her popularity among Iowa voters that helped her win the Iowa straw poll in August.
He did not mention the Minnesota Republican as a likely candidate he would endorse before Tuesday though.
“If I had to pick them, I’d say this: Romney, Santorum, Paul, in that order — then I think likely Gingrich,” said Mr. King Saturday. “I do think Romney’s strong enough to win here in Iowa, and I do think Paul’s support is drifting away from him — people are coming to grips with what that would really mean. And the third component of this is the ascendancy of Rick Santorum. Is his ascendancy a sharp enough incline to catch up with Ron Paul and Mitt Romney?”
