GOP Lawmakers Shy Away from Endorsements
South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, as well as many other Republican lawmakers from early-primary states, are looking at the current GOP presidential candidates and thinking about holding off on an endorsement, reports
Politico.
“It’s increasingly unlikely I’m going to endorse, but I want to . . . think it through,” DeMint told Politico.
“I’m coming to the conclusion I could be more helpful focused on the Senate Conservatives Fund and not getting over-involved in a presidential race.”
While there are many Republican candidates to choose from, many lawmakers have chosen not to endorse anyone yet.
“The candidate [who] wins is the candidate willing to be different from the other candidates, and I have not seen that differentiation on issues that I can support,” New Hampshire Rep. Charlie Bass said in an interview.
So far, the only lawmaker to endorse a GOP candidate is Rep. Mick Mulvaney from South Carolina who has backed Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
New Hampshire lawmaker, Rep. Frank Guinta, says that he is “leaning toward . . . an endorsement” and plans to meet with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman when the House is out of session.
“I don’t think anybody cares who I think they should vote for,” said South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy, who added that he’ll stay out of the race.
Other lawmakers set to avoid an endorsement include Iowa Republican Reps. Steve King and Tom Latham, and senior senator from Iowa, Chuck Grassley.
King said an endorsement would be construed as “de facto criticism of all the others, and that troubles me because I do like and respect them all.”