Mitt Romney’s campaign rolled out another Pa. endorsement today.. sort of. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks) has been on the record supporting the presidential hopeful since at least December.

“I have been overwhelmed by the strong support I have received in Pennsylvania,” said Mitt Romney in a press release. “Congressman Fitzpatrick shares my vision of cutting spending and getting Washington out of the way of the private sector. With his help and the hard work of those supporting me in Pennsylvania, we can defeat President Obama and turn around the country.”

“Like many of my colleagues, I know Senator Santorum and respect the work he did for Pennsylvania but I am strongly supporting Mitt Romney. Pennsylvania and the rest of the country can’t afford four more years of President Obama’s failed policies and it is important that we nominate a proven conservative like Mitt Romney to face President Obama,” Fitzpatrick said in the release.

Rep. Charlie Dent said at a Romney endorsement event earlier this month in Harrisburg Fitzpatrick sent his regrets and would have liked to attend.

And he similar supported Romney during a meeting with the editorial board of The Intelligencer in December last year. The resulting article was titled “Fitzpatrick Likes Romney.”

Speaking to the editorial board of The Intelligencer, Fitzpatrick said Romney’s executive experience, combined with his business background, “is what is needed now in Washington.”
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“He brings a measured approach to the important policy discussions that need to be implemented,” he said. “We need to have a fair debate, which is not politicized.”

It’s not too much of a surprise that Fitz would be on team Romney. A swing district congressman who lost his re-election in 2006 when Santorum was on top of the GOP ticket, he more than most must think about how the presidential nominee will affect down-ballot candidates.

His 8th district is one of the swingy-est in Pa.

Indeed, he joins two of his southeast Pa. colleagues who have endorsed Romney: Reps. Dent (R-Lehigh) and Jim Gerlach (R-Chester). Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Blair) is also on board.

Reps. Lou Barletta (R-Luzerne) and Tom Marino (R-Lycoming) are backing Santorum.