Politics

Rick Santorum snags endorsement from Iowa secretary of state

Alex Pappas Political Reporter
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DES MOINES, Iowa — Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum snagged a coveted endorsement Friday morning when Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz announced his support for the former Pennsylvania senator.

“He has a solid track record as a social and fiscal conservative from his time serving in the US Senate and House of Representatives. As a Republican from a blue state, he has the experience to win in tough elections,” Schultz said.

Santorum is the only GOP presidential candidate who can boast of campaigning in all of the Hawkeye State’s 99 counties. Earlier this week, he was the only candidate in Iowa at all, stumping on his “Faith, Family and Freedom” tour.

Still, he only registered at 6 percent in the latest Des Moines Register poll.

Influential Iowa Christian conservative Bob Vander Plaats told The Daily Caller in an interview this week that he’s unsure why Santorum hasn’t caught on more, saying, “People love him. We love him.”

“The most common question I get with Santorum, not only in Iowa, but across the country is why hasn’t he got the traction he should’ve gotten by now,” he said. “It’s a hard one to explain, because he’s right on the issues, very articulate, very bright. He doesn’t stick to talking points. He’s not politics as usual. He was tea party before tea party was cool.”

On Friday, Santorum has four public events on his schedule, including “a major announcement” in Johnston, Iowa — presumably the roll-out of the Schultz endorsement.

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