Rep. John Moolenaar, one of the earliest congressional backers of Marco Rubio for president, told Newsmax Thursday morning that after the Florida Senator's stronger-than-expected showing in the Iowa caucuses this week, his campaign will make an all-out effort in the Michigan primary March 8.
"Marco will contest Michigan," said Moolenaar, who spoke to us during the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC. His third-place showing in Iowa right behind Donald Trump was pivotal to the campaign's decision, he explained, "because Michigan is also a midwestern state and has a lot in common with Iowa."
The freshman lawmaker from the Midland area also revealed that "there will be a lot of fresh endorsements for Marco Rubio coming out of Michigan soon." Sharon Wise, past co-chair of the state GOP and former Republican National committeewoman, will soon join "Team Rubio" in the Wolverine State, said Moolenaar.
Sources in Michigan GOP circles also told us that Rep. Dan Benishek of the state's "Upper Peninsula" was likely to come out for Rubio shortly.
Moolenaar and fellow Rep. Bill Huizenga are the co-chairmen of the Rubio campaign in Michigan. Both lawmakers are of Dutch heritage, Moolenaar told us, "and we both spent several days in Iowa campaigning in Dutch communities. They actually have quite a few of them there."
Led by State Attorney General Bill Schuette (who was a top operative in George H.W. Bush's first presidential race in 1980), a number of Republican office-holders and party officials came out early for Jeb Bush in Michigan.
Although no polls have been conducted, it is widely thought that Bush has lost momentum and that the leading contenders are Trump and Cruz (who has a vigorous organization under the leadership of Saul Anuzis, a former state party chairman and longtime conservative activist).
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax.
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