Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has recently secured important endorsements that may popularize his campaign. The former Massachusetts governor has been suffering in the polls, consistently showing a second-place standing behind Michelle Bachmann, Rick Perry, Herman Cain, and most recently Newt Gingrich. Recent endorsements from Senator Kelly Ayotte and Senator John Thune have shown major gains in the Romney campaign.

On November 20, New Hampshire conservative Senator Kelly Ayotte gave Romney his official endorsement during a campaign event. “There’s one person in this field who is prepared to lead the United States of America and that is Mitt Romney,” Senator Ayotte told a cheering crowd. “And, most importantly, there is one person who I know will ensure that Barack Obama is a one-term president, and that is Mitt Romney,” he added.

In Romney’s 2008 bid for the Republican nomination, he focused the majority of his efforts in Iowa and saw a disappointing second place finish. Because of his campaign background in the state, Romney’s recent election has not focused much time there, leading to resentment in some of the population. However, if Romney can persuade his 2008 voters to turn out for him again and the Republican conservatives and evangelical Christian voters remain split, he may secure the nomination despite spending little time or money in Iowa.

Senator John Thune of nearby South Dakota is popular in Iowa, and his recent endorsement of the Romney campaign has aided him in the state. Romney told a local newspaper, “I am honored to have Senator Thune’s support. On the issues that I have been fighting for in my campaign—creating a better business environment, lessening the regulatory burden and ending Washington’s spending addiction—Senator Thune has been a leading voice in the Senate. He will be a trusted advisor as I ring this message to the voters, work to reverse President Obama’s failed policies, and reform Washington.”

Senator Kelly Ayotte and Senator John Thune are high-profile additions to a candidacy already supported by leading members of the Republican Party. “A victory in Iowa and New Hampshire would likely decide the nomination,” said Tim Albrecht, a GOP operative who worked on the Romney campaign in 2008 but is now unaffiliated. “It’s hard to see a credible, competitive candidate emerging if Mitt Romney wins Iowa and New Hampshire.”