Report: Romney to endorse Rubio in Fla.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., April 16 (UPI) -- Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will endorse Marco Rubio over Gov. Charlie Crist in Florida's Senate Republican primary, CNN reported.

A Romney adviser told the U.S. network Friday the ex-governor plans to campaign with Rubio, a former Florida House speaker, in the Tampa area Monday and Romney's Free and Strong America PAC will contribute the maximum $5,000 to Rubio's primary campaign.

"Over the past many months, Governor Romney has spoken with both Governor Crist and Marco Rubio," CNN quoted the adviser as saying. "Both of them asked for his endorsement. While Mitt Romney respects Governor Crist, he believes Marc Rubio's record of conservative, principled and idea-driven leadership is what Florida needs now."

In the closely watched race, Rubio has also won the backing of other national Republican figures, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Rubio, a Tea Party favorite, picked up Romney's endorsement amid sharp GOP criticism of Crist's veto of a bill that would have tied teacher pay to student test scores and ended tenure for new teachers.

Crist said the bill, which has drawn fierce opposition from teachers unions, parents and schools officials, was "significantly flawed," vague and "overreaching."

Former Gov. Jeb Bush, who supported the measure, said in a statement the veto had "jeopardized the ability of Florida to build on the progress of the last decade."

But teachers unions, school officials and parents praised Crist's move, The Miami Herald reported.

"The public voice was heard and it was felt," Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said. "This was not one single person's vote. This was everybody coming together.''