AP Photo Chaffetz will endorse Rubio

House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz will endorse Marco Rubio for president, according to a source familiar with his plans.

The Utah Republican, whose national profile is growing, given his role atop the House’s chief investigative committee, plans to campaign with Rubio at a town hall in Concord, New Hampshire, on Friday, the source said.


"Marco Rubio is a conservative leader who understands the challenges facing American families in the 21st century. I'm looking forward to hitting the campaign trail with Marco to talk about the future of our country and the importance of electing a next-generation conservative in 2016,” Chaffetz said in a statement to POLITICO.

Rubio is locked in a crowded race with other center-right candidates Jeb Bush, John Kasich and Chris Christie in the nation’s first GOP primary state, but Rubio is gathering more momentum in the halls of Congress than any other GOP presidential candidate. While Bush shot out to an early lead in terms of congressional endorsements, Chaffetz joins a swelling group of high-profile lawmakers backing Rubio.

Since the beginning of November, 17 House and Senate Republicans have endorsed Rubio, including Select Committee on Benghazi Chairman Trey Gowdy and former House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who campaigned with Rubio earlier this week in New Hampshire. In that same time, two House members and Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) have endorsed Bush, according 538’s endorsement tracker.

Senior Republican lawmakers and aides in Congress believe Rubio is in line for more Senate endorsements now that Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has dropped out of the race. However, to date, only three of Rubio’s Senate colleagues have endorsed him.