Romney gets major Cuban endorsements in Florida

Three of Florida's most prominent Cuban-American Republicans have endorsed Mitt Romney, a major boost in the early-primary state.

The endorsements from Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart and former Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart are huge for the former Massachusetts governor. All three endorsed Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2008 and are hard-liners on Cuba.

"The policies of the past three years have put America’s standing in the world at risk," said Ros-Lehtinen in a statement put out by Romney's campaign. "It is time we had a president who understands that our country must lead. Mitt Romney believes that America is an exceptional nation and has a strategy to restore our country’s greatness. The Romney plan for economic growth will create jobs and opportunities for all, especially for South Floridians, who are passionate in their pursuit of the American Dream."

Florida is a crucial state in the GOP nomination process, going fourth after Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. If Romney can win Florida, an expensive state with eight media markets in which he is well-positioned, he could foreseeably lock in the nomination before Super Tuesday in early March, allowing him to conserve resources and shift his focus toward the general election.

The Cuban-American population, which is concentrated in Miami, is a major swing bloc in any Republican primary — and tends to follow endorsements and move en masse toward a candidate more than other voting blocs. Miami-Dade County, where Cuban-Americans have the most voters, gave McCain half his margin of victory over Romney in the state four years ago.

Former Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) already endorsed Romney after backing McCain four years ago. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the most prominent Cuban-American politician in the state, has said he won't endorse in the primary.

Winning the Cuban-American vote would be huge for Romney, and with the community's powerful establishment politicians aligning behind him, he should be in good shape in Miami.