Jeb Bush, Jr. Endorses Huntsman

Jeb Bush, Jr. (AP File Photo) (AP2010)

Presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman has snagged an endorsement in a key battleground state - Jeb Bush Jr, the son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

Rumors of a "major" announcement from the Huntsman campaign have been circulating through Florida for days, leading many to speculate that the former governor himself would throw his weight behind Huntsman. It was his 28-year-old son, however, who accepted a position with the campaign and detailed his support in a statement released Wednesday.

"In 2008, Florida and the presidency went to Barack Obama because he offered hope," Bush Jr wrote. "To defeat the President in 2012, we need a candidate who will offer solutions. That man is Jon Huntsman."

The endorsement could potentially give Huntsman a boost in the battleground state, which the campaign has targeted in the primary cycle. The Huntsman campaign is headquartered in Orlando, and Huntsman and Bush Jr recently toured the state together back in June.

Bush Jr will become the National Chairman of GenH - the campaign's youth and young professionals outreach program.

"I am confident that Jon's vision will appeal to young voters, who are concerned about the trillions of dollars in debt being piled on their backs, and who desperately seek jobs and economic opportunity," he said in the statement.

While the former ambassador to China still trails in the polls, the endorsement could boost his visibility both in Florida and on a national level.

"He has a real plan and real ideas to put the American people back to work - the same ideas he championed in Utah to make that state number one in job creation," Bush Jr wrote. "Jon is the candidate best-equipped to defeat President Obama next November."

Jeb Bush Sr has yet to formally endorse a candidate, and former President George W. Bush has indicated that he won't endorse anyone in the upcoming election.