Issa endorses Romney

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) announced Thursday that Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) endorsed his bid for the presidency.

“As a former businessman, I know that Mitt Romney is the right candidate to get both California and the country’s economy on the right track again,” Issa said in a statement released by Romney’s campaign. “The country would be well served to have someone who knows how the economy works and has worked in the private sector. President Obama never worked in the real economy — we can’t afford to have another president who has spent his career outside the real economy.”

{mosads}Issa’s endorsement, as the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is one of the bigger congressional endorsements so far for Romney’s campaign.

Congress has not rushed to endorse so far this year, likely due to the wide field of GOP candidates. Romney’s biggest endorsements so far include Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Scott Brown (R-Mass.), House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) and a widely-touted endorsement last week by former GOP candidate Tim Pawlenty.

“As someone who shares my background in business, Congressman Issa understands that we need to make fundamental changes in Washington,” said Romney. “I am proud to have his support, and look forward to working with him as I campaign in California and work to bring jobs back to the state and strengthen the American economy.”

Issa endorsed Romney’s chief rival in the 2008 campaign, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) — a February endorsement that came about a week before Romney dropped out of the primary race. Issa singled out McCain for his leadership on Iraq and fighting earmarks at the time.

This story was updated at 8:11 a.m.