Rick Santorum, the former GOP presidential candidate, endorsed Pete Hoekstra Wednesday in his bid for the U.S. Senate.
Hoekstra is facing Clark Durant, Cornerstone Schools co-founder, and former Grand Rapids judge Randy Hekman for the GOP nomination Aug. 7. The winner will challenge U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, in November.
Santorum, who narrowly lost to Mitt Romney in Michigan’s Feb. 28 presidential primary, issued the following statement about Hoekstra:
“It is clear that the people of Michigan have tremendous choices in the Republican primary that would all would be superior to Debbie Stabenow, but there is only one candidate with a proven track record of conservative leadership. That is Congressman Pete Hoekstra.
”I know this because I worked closely with Pete when he was chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and I watched him aggressively confront a number of tough issues, even in the face of Republican opposition.
”Patriot Voices got a tremendous response for all of the candidates when we polled our members who live in Michigan. I understand that this is a tough choice, but it comes down to proven leadership and being able to effectively fight for our conservative principles.
”Pete is committed to fighting everyday to protect the unborn, promote traditional values, ensure hard-earned taxpayer dollars are spent wisely, and keep our nation secure from the national security threats we face.
”We can only win in November if we put up a strong conservative like Pete Hoekstra, and I look forward to joining with the many members of Patriot Voices to ensure that Pete has the resources and grassroots support to win.”
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