Eight influential Republican senators jumped on board former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina's California Senate campaign Thursday, a day after she officially launched her bid.
Those endorsing Fiorina included Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Assistant Minority Leader Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.; 2008 presidential nominee John McCain, R-Calif.; Tom Coburn, R-Okla.; Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; and Maine Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia J. Snowe. All cited her experience as a business leader.
In his statement, McCain praised Fiorina's service as an adviser during his presidential bid. "I benefited from her no-nonsense way of getting things done when she served on my campaign last year," he said.
Collins, Snowe and Murkowski represent three of the four Republican women in the Senate. The fourth is Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, who is considering resigning to run for governor next year.
The endorsements are, in effect, a counterpunch to GOP primary rival Chuck DeVore, a state Assemblyman from Irvine, Calif. who has been touting an endorsement this week from up-and-coming conservative Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C. And they solidify the impression that Fiorina is the choice of the Republican establishment in Washington to take on Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who is running for a fourth term in 2010.
CQ Politics rates the general election contest Safe Democratic.
To see how the 2010 Senate races are shaping up, check out the CQ Politics' election map.
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