Santorum Nabs Key Endorsement

Rick Santorum just got an important endorsement. It comes from influential Iowa evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats. He heads up The Family Leader organization and while that important evangelical organization decided to stay neutral, Vander Plaats went out on his own to endorse Santorum.

Santorum is clearly deserving of it, having been in the trenches on important social issues for decades. This should give his campaign a boost. How much remains to be seen.

More from The New York Times below:

Two weeks before the Republican nominating contest opens at the Iowa caucuses, former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania has won a highly-coveted endorsement from one of the state's social conservative leaders.

Bob Vander Plaats, who has sought to put his imprint on the Republican presidential race for months, announced Tuesday that he would support Mr. Santorum. He and other evangelical Christians have talked openly about their struggle to unite behind one candidate, but he urged others to follow his lead.

At this late stage in the campaign, it remains an open question how the endorsement from Mr. Vander Plaats will affect the Iowa caucus campaign. His political activity, including leading the effort to remove three judges from the Iowa Supreme Court last year in a battle over same-sex marriage, has made him a lightening rod in some Republican circles.

The Family Leader, a conservative group that Mr. Vander Plaats formed after losing his Republican governor's race in Iowa last year, narrowed its choices last month to Mr. Santorum, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and former House speaker Newt Gingrich.

The group ruled out former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, Representative Ron Paul of Texas and former Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr. of Utah.

The Family Leader said Tuesday that it would remain neutral in the race, a decision that was reached after several lengthy meetings with members of the board, according to Republicans familiar with the discussions. But in the end, participants said, Mr. Vander Plaats decided to make a personal endorsement.