Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen revealed Friday who she is endorsing in Florida’s 2012 U.S. Senate race: Connie Mack.
Asked if she was backing anyone from the Republican side for Senate, Ros-Lehtinen said, “Yes, I’m with Connie Mack, and we hope to be releasing that information – maybe it’s a secret until we do it,” she said, breaking in to a laugh.
“I think you just did it,” NBC Miami’s Jeff Burnside pointed out, and Ros-Lehtinen, who represents the 18th Congressional District in South Florida, laughed some more.
“Whoops,” she replied.
“We’re going to be unveiling our endorsement for Connie Mack in the coming days,” she added. “And I think that he brings solid leadership, he’s a fiscal conservative, he’s a freedom advocate, and he’s the kind of action-oriented guy we need in Miami.”
Mack, currently a congressman from the 14th District in Southwest Florida, is the frontrunner in a crowded GOP field. His chief competition is former U.S. Senator George LeMieux. Retired Army Col. Mike McCalister, Delray Beach attorney Adam Hasner, and restaurant magnate Craig Miller are also running in the Aug. 14 primary.
They are all seeking to oust the incumbent Democrat, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, in November.
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In her NBC Miami interview Friday, Ros-Lehtinen also said she was glad Congress worked out a tax deal, “because we certainly did not want to be in the way of giving people a tax cut or unemployment insurance, and I think that every side got what they wanted.”
“The Democrats got their two-month extension, which is good, but we got the Senate to agree to appoint conferees to negotiate what we want, which is a one-year extension,” she continued.
Doing short-term tax cuts or budget moves brings uncertainty to the markets and the broader economy, she said.
