Former Sen. Trent Lott endorses Kasich

by Megan Wilson - 08/25/15 10:12 AM ET

Former Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) on Tuesday formally endorsed Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) for president, and became a national co-chairman of the campaign — boosting the governor’s credibility in the South.

{mosads}“We need his keen budget mind in the White House to help get our federal budget reined in. His long experience on national security and foreign policy is just as critical,” Lott said in a statement.

Lott, the former Senate majority leader, now lobbies for Squire Patton Boggs, a firm based in Cleveland.

“I’m proud to join his team and I look forward to doing all I can to help him take back White House and strengthening our great nation,” he added.

The two men worked together while serving in Congress and hammered out a budget and tax cut agreement in 1997 that helped to balance the federal budget.

“He’s got a keen policy mind with experience across the full scope of federal issues and political wisdom that’s been honed in the trenches,” Kasich said of Lott on Tuesday.

Kasich also secured another endorsement from the South, as Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley pledged his support last week — the first Southern governor to make a choice in the 2016 race.

GOP operative Tom Rath has also joined in supporting Kasich, serving as senior national adviser and a co-chairman of his New Hampshire campaign. The former New Hampshire attorney general, who backed Mitt Romney in 2008 and 2012, also worked on the campaign of former President George W. Bush.

Tags John Kasich Trent Lott