Sandoval, Heller endorse Romney

Gov. Brian Sandoval and U.S. Sen. Dean Heller on Wednesday endorsed Mitt Romney for president, jointly sending a statement urging their fellow Republicans to get behind him.

Romney won the Feb. 4 GOP presidential caucus in Nevada with 50 percent of the vote, but Sandoval had backed Texas Gov. Rick Perry until he dropped out. Heller had been neutral until now.

Romney is expected to win the GOP nomination now that Rick Santorum has suspended his campaign and the two other GOP contenders, Newt Gingrich and Texas Rep. Ron Paul, remain weak.

Sandoval and Heller, R-Nev., both said it's time to replace President Barack Obama, who easily won Nevada in 2008 but has become less popular as the economy continues to struggle.

"No state more than ours needs a president who understands how jobs are created and believes in the power of American businesses," Sandoval said. "While America needs creativity and ingenuity in its leader, President Obama has failed to bring positive change to Washington and has left Nevada struggling to overcome the most difficult economy in decades."

Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the nation at 12.3 percent.

"It's time to change direction and it's time for Republicans to come together and focus on winning in November," Sandoval said in his statement. "Governor Mitt Romney will be the Republican nominee and I stand ready to help him."

Heller said the nation needs a president who will put the brakes on spending.

"More than ever, our nation needs a president with the conviction to stop excessive government spending, to rein in record levels of debt and to force Washington to treat taxpayers' dollars responsibly," Heller said. "Republicans and Americans of all political stripes must now come together and rally around Mitt Romney."

The endorsement from the two top Republican leaders in Nevada sends a signal to the GOP establishment that it's time to rally around Romney, a former Massachusetts governor. But the backing isn't likely to change much on the ground because Romney is well-known and has fairly broad support here.

The Nevada Democratic Party slammed the eleventh-hour endorsement.

"After all other alternatives were exhausted, Governor Sandoval reluctantly held his nose to endorse Mitt Romney," the Democrats said.