Former Governor Pete Wilson Endorses Romney

BOSTON (CBS13) – Rebuplican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Monday announced the endorsement of former California governor Pete Wilson and named him honorary California chairman.

"I'm honored to have Governor Pete Wilson's support, because he's one of California's most accomplished leaders," Romney said in a prepared statement. "As governor of California from 1991 to 1999, he led California from the depths of recession to prosperous economic recovery. Taking office with an inherited revenue gap of over $14 million, he left his successor a surplus of over $12.5 million. Insisting on strict budget discipline and rehabilitation of the state's then-hostile environment toward investment and job creation, Pete persuaded Democratic Legislative majorities to enact dramatic tax and regulatory relief especially helpful to small businesses."

Announcing his support, Wilson said, "Mitt Romney is an enthusiastic believer in American exceptionalism and has been a spectacular example of it: Mitt has been a success in creating American private sector jobs, a success as the rescuer of the Salt Lake City Olympic games, and as a public chief executive as the Republican governor in the challenging environment of heavily Democratic Massachusetts. It is clear that he will be a success in the White House."

Wilson served as the 36th governor of California (1991–1999), the culmination of more than three decades of public service that included eight years as a United States senator (1983–1991), 11 years as mayor of San Diego (1971–1982) and four years as a California State Assemblyman (1967–1971).