Romney snags endorsement from Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuno

www.fortaleza.gobierno.pr

TITUSVILLE, Florida -- Hoping to further ingratiate itself to Florida's Hispanic community, Mitt Romney's campaign announced Friday the endorsement of Puerto Rico's Governor Luis Fortuno. Fortuno will appear alongside Romney at a rally Friday evening in Orlando.

Puerto Rico has 23 delegates up for grabs in its March 18 caucuses -- 11 more than New Hampshire. An important issue to Puerto Rican voters is that of statehood, which will be voted on by the commonwealth later this year. Fortuno leads the pro-statehood New Progressive Party, and earlier today, Romney said he would lend his full support to Puerto Rico were they to vote in favor of seceding to the U.S.

Should the referendum vote determine that Puerto Rico would like to become a state, Congress and the president would need to make final approval of such an addition.

Addressing the Hispanic Leaders Network in Miami, Romney said he expected Puerto Rico to vote in favor of becoming the 51st state, and if so, "we will vote for the process in Washington to provide statehood to Puerto Rico, and again create a model in the Caribbean - one more model in Latin America - of the benefits of having freedom."

Can Romney or Gingrich win over Latinos?

Romney's chief rival, Newt Gingrich, also addressed the issue of Puerto Rican statehood when speaking to the group just moments before, but would not say definitively if he believed the commonwealth should join the Union. "I have had a firm position on the right of the Puerto Rican people to have a referendum. I am not dictating the outcome of the referendum because there are several options and the Puerto Rican people have to make that decision."

Stressing the importance of Romney's economic platform, Fortuno said in his endorsement statement, "Mitt Romney is the one candidate who has the record, leadership, experience, and pro-growth plan to continue the course of private-sector job creation we've begun in Puerto Rico and provide economic stability for generations."

Watch Luis Fortuno, the governor of Puerto Rico, talk with CBSNews.com's Brian Montopoli about his push for statehood and his efforts to save the Puerto Rican economy.

[DebbieCorona]

And this is news? Puerto Rico can't vote for President nor do they have any delegates and it will be a lifetime before Puerto Rico ever becomes a state.

[grandmotherflorida]

Those of us who have grandchildren need to think of them and other grandchildren especially in a minimum wage state like Florida: Mat. 25:42 For I was hungry and you wouldn't feed me; thirsty, and you wouldn't give me anything to drink; Mat 25:43 a stranger, and you refused me hospitality; naked, and you wouldn't clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn't visit me.' Mat. 25:44 "Then they will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?' Mat 25:45 "And I will answer, 'When you refused to help the least of these my brothers, you were refusing help to me.' Mat. 25:46 "And they shall go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life."

[NewtsArmy931]

Your choice for Presidential should be based on a question. Which of the candidates will go to Washington and kick the health out of those corrupt Washington Congressmen?
"Greed is the root of all evil"
Newtsarmy2012.com

[BOB-C]

Puerto Rico, which has no right to presidential vote or vote in Congress.... Pfft.... BIG news!

[noloyalisti]

I hate to say this Luis Fortino is an idiot but this Luis Fortino is an idiot. Another true self-hating conservative to match his substandard IQ.

He actually thinks that the free market and Reaganomics works for anyone except the rich greedy Top 1% like Mint RawMoney. Are all Republicons dimwitted and ignorant or only the ones who buy their way into office? It's mind boggling.

[Nightshadow73]

And what is Obama's millions war chest equal? Is he not also buying the presidency? Add to it that he's pandering to OWS.