Candidates eagerly seek Palin endorsements

NEW YORK, June 24 (UPI) -- Sarah Palin continues to be a potent force in U.S. politics even out of office as Republican candidates scramble to secure her endorsement, observers say.

Those endorsements, mostly offered informally through Facebook and Twitter, have made her an important player in some of the most contentious campaigns, ABC News said Thursday.

One candidate who profited from a Palin endorsement is California GOP Senate nominee Carly Fiorina.

"In the primary, one of the important winning factors was defining Carly as a common sense conservative who can beat Barbara Boxer," deputy campaign manager Julie A. Soderlund said. "When we earned (Palin's) endorsement, we saw support for Carly increase literally overnight."

As Republican women appear on ballots across the country, the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee has emerged as a key figure specifically supporting female GOP candidates, or "mama grizzlies," as Palin calls them.

One analyst says Palin can make a huge difference in local or regional political races.

"I do think that in smaller races in particular, by getting someone who has a very devoted core of followers in the conservative movement to come out and lend you support it really can infuse a quick bit of life into a campaign," Kristen Soltis, conservative pollster at The Winston Group, says.