Republican presidential candidate former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum was speaking during a recent town hall meeting in Lincoln in Belle plain Cafe, Iowa, December 13, 2011.
URBANDALE, Iowa (Reuters)-two prominent Iowa conservative religious leaders supported Republican Rick Santorum on Tuesday, bolstering Presidential longshot bid and deal blows to the forefront of Newt Gingrich two weeks prior to the nomination contest State kickoff.
Bob Vander Plaats, head of the influential group of Christian leaders, Family and family policy Center Iowa head Chuck Hurley supported Santorum after the leader of the family’s Board of Directors is unable to reach agreement on the support of the wider group.
“I believe Rick Santorum comes from us,” said Vander Plaats Pennsylvania senator, who touts the Christian faith who are born again on the campaign trail but is mired in single digits in most polls. “He is one of us.”
Vander Plaats and Hurley say they’ll help Santorum in whatever way they could and expressed hope the conservative Christian community will rally around her cracks in the waning days of the Iowa campaign.