Romney Gets North Carolina Endorsements

The Romney campaign announced today that three North Carolina Republican congressmen have endorsed MItt Romney for president. Howard Coble, Virginia Foxx, and Patrick McHenry praised Romney for his business experience and economic know-how in prepared statements.

“Mitt Romney has been a successful leader his entire life,” said Coble, who has served in Congress since 1985. “Whether it was business, the Winter Olympics, or as governor, Mitt Romney has proven that he can turn around troubled enterprises. Right now, North Carolina and the country need a leader to engineer an economic turnaround.”

McHenry said that Romney is the GOP's "best chance to defeat President Obama so that we can repeal Obamacare."

North Carolina is traditionally a Republican state that went for Democrat Barack Obama in 2008.

Next door, meanwhile, South Carolina senator Jim DeMint may be looking to endorse Romney, reports David Drucker of Roll Call:

Mitt Romney is the favorite to receive Sen. Jim DeMint's (R-S.C.) much-sought-after endorsement in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, according to knowledgeable GOP sources.

DeMint, who endorsed the former Massachusetts governor in 2008, made clear in an interview late last week that he has made no decisions on whom he will support in the 2012 primary. But Republican operatives familiar with the DeMint-Romney relationship and privy to the conservative Senator's private assessment of the GOP field believe Romney is the most likely candidate to receive the backing of the tea party favorite.

Politico, on the other hand, says DeMint's aides are denying the report, saying that the senator is not close to endorsing any of the candidates. DeMint endorsed Romney in 2008.