Romney to endorse Utah Sen. Bennett

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) will endorse Sen. Bob Bennett’s (R) reelection bid in Utah, maintaining Romney’s sway in one of his strong political states.

Romney will appear alongside Bennett on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported, and help him campaign throughout Utah.

The endorsement is a move to fend off a potential conservative primary challenge to Bennett from state Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, who has signaled his openness to challenging Bennett.

“Gov. Romney is very active on behalf of the Republican Party, organizations and individual candidates as we head into the critical 2010 cycle, and he’s particularly excited about supporting Sen. Bennett for re-election,” Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said.

Romney has also been a prolific fundraiser in Utah, a state witch which he shares a common faith in its large Mormon population.