Tallahassee, FL – Larry Cretul, Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, announced his endorsement of Marco Rubio for the United States Senate today.

“I’m proud to endorse Marco Rubio, who I believe is the only candidate Floridians can trust to go to Washington and provide conservative, principled and unapologetic leadership,” said Speaker Cretul.

“I wasn’t planning to endorse until after session, but it’s become apparent that Marco’s thoughtful, intelligent and principled conservatism are a sharp contrast with his opponent’s erratic behavior and his relentlessly negative and desperate attacks against Marco and the Republican-led Florida Legislature,” added Speaker Cretul. “During the past few months, Governor Crist has confirmed what most Floridians already knew about him, which is that he’s willing to say or do just about anything to preserve his political ambitions.  I have worked with both men, and for me the choice is clear.

“The economic downturn of the last three-and-a-half years has been tough for Floridians, and it was a time that called for real leadership, not poll driven press conferences.  Marco stood up to lead with new ideas and real reforms.  Unfortunately, Governor Crist was never willing to step up and put good policy above campaign priorities or campaign politics, and Florida has paid the price.”

“I’m grateful for my friend Larry Cretul’s support in this race,” said Marco Rubio. “Speaker Cretul has led the Florida House under extraordinarily difficult circumstances, but has done so with humility and distinction. As a father and grandfather, Speaker Cretul is someone who understands just how big the stakes are in this election, and how important it is that we elect people to go to Washington and stand up to the radical agenda being pursued by Barack Obama and his congressional allies.”

About Larry Cretul:

House Speaker Larry Cretul has served in the state House of Representatives since 2002. He represents House District 22, which includes a diverse population of citizens from portions of Marion, Levy and Alachua counties.  He also served on the Marion County Commission for eight years, including two terms as Chairman and Vice Chairman.

Speaker Cretul was sworn in as the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives in March 2009.  Speaker Cretul had previously served as Speaker pro tempore and Deputy Majority Leader, and sat on healthcare, economic development, and education committees.

Speaker Cretul is a licensed real estate broker and was a homebuilder prior to the current recession. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, where he served with VF-74 and VF-101, including a tour overseas aboard the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal.   He and his wife of 42-years, Lana, have two sons and two grandsons. One of their great pleasures is to explore Florida on his Harley Davidson.

In addition to the tens of thousands of grassroots supporters who have fueled this campaign, Speaker Cretul joins a growing movement of Republicans standing with Marco Rubio, including:

Governors and Mayors
-Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR)
-Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA)
-Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY)

United States Senators
-Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC)
-Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK)
-Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK)

United States Representatives
-Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX)
-Congressman Jeff Miller (R-FL)
-Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL)
-Congressman & House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA)
-Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI)
-Congressman & House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN)
-Congressman & Republican Study Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-GA)

State Senators and State Representatives
-Former Florida Senate President Tom Lee (R-Brandon)
-Former Florida Speaker of the House Pro Tem Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala)
-State Senator Carey Baker (R-Eustis)
-House Deputy Majority Leader Seth McKeel (R-Lakeland)

Law Enforcement Leaders
-Duval County Sheriff John Rutherford

Conservative Leaders and Organizations
-Jeb Bush, Jr.
-George P. Bush
-Steve Forbes, Chairman and CEO of Forbes, advisor to Ronald Reagan
-Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform President
-Cesar Conda, Former Advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney, Governor Mitt Romney & previous Crist supporter
-The Club for Growth
-Family Research Council Action PAC
-Irish-American Republicans