McDonnell endorses Romney, heads to S.C. to campaign

Gov. Bob McDonnell this morning endorsed Mitt Romney's bid for the Republican presidential nomination, calling him a "results-oriented conservative" who can appeal to Democrats and independents. 

McDonnell, making his choice known on the eve of the hotly contested South Carolina primary, said Romney has the best chance to beat President Barack Obama in November.

"My message will be if you want to win the race in November, vote for Mitt Romney," McDonnell said on CNBC's "Squawkbox."

"He can win Democrats and independents over to our cause by sticking to his principles." 

McDonnell was in New York City this morning for a state-related economic development meeting, but will fly to South Carolina this afternoon to join Romney, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and others at a rally in Charleston. He will travel to Greenville with Romney for a campaign event tonight and stay for a Saturday morning event before returning to Richmond.  

Commenting on the timing of his endorsement, McDonnell told reporters in a conference call that, “This is the first Southern state primary, I‘m a Southern state governor so to the degree that my endorsement might help the governor, Governor Romney, at all I thought this was the right time to do it.”  

McDonnell’s endorsement isn't terribly surprising following Texas Gov. Rick Perry's exit Thursday from the GOP nomination contest but the timing could be key. Rolling out the nod from McDonnell – who described himself this morning as a pro-family, fiscally conservative military veteran -- and rallying with the Virginia governor on the eve of the South Carolina primary could help Romney's credibility among conservatives who are still looking for an alternative. Perry endorsed Gingrich, who is gaining ground in recent South Carolina polls.

McDonnell, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, has long said he thinks a governor or former governor would make the best president because they have executive experience and must balance budgets. Romney is the lone former governor left among top-tier candidates in the GOP field.

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling serves as chairman of Romney's Virginia campaign, but McDonnell held off on endorsing a candidate even as the state's Republican Party declared that only Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul qualified for Virginia's March 6 Republican presidential primary.

Some pundits have touted McDonnell as a potential GOP running mate; McDonnell told the Times-Dispatch in August that "If the nominee from my party, or frankly the nominee from any party, called a governor and said, 'Hey, I need you on the ticket to win,' of course, I'd be very interested."

"But that's the extent of it."

He brushed aside vice presidential speculation in the conference call with reporters today. “We don’t even have a nominee yet, so any speculation about other offices is way premature,” he said.  

If Romney secures the Republican nomination, McDonnell's support could significantly boost his chances here. Obama was the first Democrat to win Virginia's electoral votes since President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. The president is expected to make a push in the state again this year, and his campaign released a TV ad in the state this week.

 Romney returns to Virginia Feb. 10 for an address in Reston, part of a presidential series sponsored by the Northern Virginia Technology Council and Consumer Electronics Association. 

Bolling on Friday said he was “delighted” that McDonnell joined him in endorsing Romney for president.

"Governor McDonnell and I agree that Governor Romney is the best person to lead our country into the future, and the only Republican candidate who can defeat President Obama in November."

(This has been a breaking news update. Check back for more details as they become available.)