John McCain to Endorse Meg Whitman for California Governor Tomorrow

In a political tit for tat, Senator John McCain will endorse former eBay CEO Meg Whitman for California Governor tomorrow.

Although Whitman hasn’t officially announced her candidacy, McCain will endorse the Republican at a town hall meeting in Orange County and then join her in Fresno for a news conference. Whitman’s spokesman Mitch Zak said that McCain’s support “continues the campaign’s momentum.”

“John McCain is an American hero,” Zak said of the 2008 Republican presidential nominee. “We’re honored and humbled to have his endorsement. We’re looking forward to working with him to improve California.”

Whitman served as national co-chair of McCain’s presidential campaign. She received another endorsement Thursday when House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, announced that he was backing her.

“The state needs a leader with a creative vision, with a formula for success that can address the fiscal challenges that you face and there is no one better than Meg Whitman,” Cantor said in a statement posted on Whitman’s web site. “I’m very honored to be part of her team.”

Meg Whitman has positioned herself well with national GOP leaders McCain, Mitt Romney and Eric Cantor endorsing her before a contested primary. Although this will be a blow to California Republican Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner candidacy it will not necessarily be a fatal one. The other GOP candidate Tom Campbell can only hope that the ad war between Whitman and Poizner turns off California voters.

Steve Poizner continues with an overwhelming majority of endorsements from state GOP leaders but unless he makes a positive case soon, the ads from McCain and Mitt Romney supporting Whitman will simply overwhelm his candidacy.

Update:

Here is video with Eric Cantor endorsing Whitman: