Santorum endorses Liljenquist over Hatch in Utah primary

Former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum endorsed Sen. Dan Liljenquist (R) in his primary against Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on Friday, calling Liljenquist “the stronger conservative in this race.”

“I've known Orrin Hatch for years and believe he is a very good man,” former Pennsylvania Sen. Santorum wrote in an email to supporters. “But in a deeply conservative state like Utah, we must elect authentic conservatives.

"What also makes Dan such a strong candidate deserving of our support is his record of taking on the tough fights and delivering results," he continued. "As a freshman state senator in Utah, on the issue of pension reform, he got legislation passed with bipartisan support. The following year, he would take on the pension system and save the program from bankrupting the state. It is that type of leader and reformer we need in the U.S. Senate!"

Santorum’s endorsement, one of his first acts through his new conservative advocacy group Patriot Voices, is only the latest indication of infighting among conservatives over the June 26 Republican primary for the Utah Senate race.

The influential Tea Party group FreedomWorks is looking to unseat Hatch, funding campaign efforts against him and endorsing Liljenquist.

However, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a popular figure with Tea Party activists, endorsed Hatch in May.

"I want him to win. I join Sean Hannity and Mark Levin and other conservatives who would like to see Mr. Balanced Budget return to Washington," Palin told Fox News of Hatch.

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