Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum picked up an endorsement from popular Tea Party Republican Sharron Angle in Nevada Thursday.
Ms. Angle served on the Nevada Assembly from 1996-2007, and lost her bid as the Republican candidate in the 2010 U.S. Senate race for Nevada.
It will be interesting to see if the endorsement from the popular Tea Party Republican will boost support for Mr. Santorum in Nevada. According to a recent Las Vegas Journal Review poll, he is projected to finish in third place on Saturday. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney leads the field in Nevada, as he finished the poll with 45 percent of the votes, trailed by rival candidate Newt Gingrich who finished with 25 percent.
The former Nevada Assembly member supports Mr. Santorum’s views on family values, and claims to have known the former Pennsylvania senator for several years now.
“He is a strong fiscal and social conservative who stands on principles above politics,” said Ms. Angle in a statement. “He has never wavered in his support for family values understanding the impact that strong families have on a prosperous economy.”
According to the Journal poll released Thursday, Mr. Gingrich garnering the support of the majority of voters who identify themselves as Tea Party Republicans in Nevada. Ms. Angle’s popularity with Tea Party Republicans could shift some of those voters towards Mr. Santorum on Saturday.
“His continuous opposition to Amnesty,Obamacare, the bail-outs, and cap and trade are a perfect fit with our main street Tea Party movement,” said Ms. Angle of Mr. Santorum.
The former Nevada politician ran against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, and continues to voice her opposition to his policies via her Twitter account.
Mr. Santorum’s staff posted her endorsement to his presidential campaign website, along with the former Pennsylvania senator’s comments thanking her.
“Sharron Angle is a fighter, and proved how important it is to take the fight to liberals like Harry Reid,” said Mr. Santorum. “I am thrilled to receive her endorsement and I am confident it will be a terrific boon to our campaign as the Nevada Caucus approaches.”
