Romney to give Branstad endorsement for primary

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney plans to announce today that he has endorsed former Gov. Terry Branstad to regain the office, aides to Romney's political action committee said Monday.

Romney, the second-place finisher in Iowa's 2008 Republican presidential caucuses, also has contributed $10,000 to Branstad's campaign, Romney aides said.

Romney, considered a 2012 presidential prospect, has made several endorsements this year. Including Branstad's race, he has stepped into four Republican primaries for governor. In California, he's backing former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, and in Michigan, he is backing Rep. Pete Hoekstra.

Romney weighed into another early nominating state gubernatorial primary in March, backing South Carolina state Rep. Nikki Haley. South Carolina is expected to hold the South's first Republican primary in 2012.

The Branstad endorsement and contribution carry even more significance. The Iowa caucuses are expected to lead off the 2012 presidential nominating sequence.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100518/NEWS09/5180361/1001/NEWS/Romney-to-give-Branstad-endorsement-for-primary