Mitt Romney
Potential 2012 GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney jumped into New Mexico politics today by announcing that his political committee is giving campaign contributions to his party’s gubernatorial nominee, Susana Martinez, and two congressional candidates.
Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC is giving $5,000 to Martinez and $2,500 each to 1st Congressional District candidate Jon Barela and 2nd Congressional District candidate Steve Pearce.
“At a time when too many of our leaders are interested in growing the size of government, we need leaders who will stand up and say no to higher taxes and higher spending,” Romney said in a news release. “This is why it is so important that we elect people like Susana Martinez, Jon Barela and Steve Pearce, who will work to get our economy back on track and make job creation a priority.”
The PAC, according to the release, aims to elect “conservative candidates who will work to lower taxes and spending, restore commonsense principles to healthcare and get our economy moving again.” The PAC has endorsed candidates in several states.
The news release hinted that more New Mexico endorsements might follow, stating that today’s announcement represented its “first wave of New Mexico endorsements.”
After losing the GOP presidential primary to John McCain in 2008, Romney twice came to New Mexico (here and here) to campaign for McCain and Pearce, who was running for U.S. Senate at the time.