It’s a day of endorsements.
Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal will reportedly endorse Texas governor Rick Perry for the Republican presidential nomination.
Mr. Jindal is reportedly traveling to Florida and will be Mr. Perry’s guest at Monday night’s Tea Party/CNN debate in Florida, a source said. Mr. Jindal is expected to formally make the announcement prior to the debate.
Mr. Jindal, who is currently campaigning for re-election, has hinted at an endorsement in recent weeks. The Louisiana Republican is widely seen as a rising star within the Republican Party. The first Indian-American governor in history, the Louisiana Republican continues enjoys a high popularity rating in Louisiana and even has received financial support from some top Democrats in his state.
Mr. Jindal’s endorsement of Mr. Perry follows an earlier endorsement from former Minnesota governor and Republican presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty, who endorsed Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts. Mr. Pawlenty is expected to attend the Florida debate at the invitation of Mr. Perry.
Polls continue to show Mr. Perry and Mr. Romney nearly tied in the race for the 2012 nomination. Recent polls show Mr. Perry leading Mr. Romney, who spent much of the first half of the year as the party’s front-runner. A CNN poll released Monday, shows the Texas governor has emerged as the firm front-runner, outpacing Mr. Romney among declared candidates by 32 percent to 21 percent.
