Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam on Thursday endorsed Marco Rubio for the Republican presidential nomination, hoping to give Florida senator a boost in the state’s Super Tuesday primary next week.

Haslam, a popular second-term governor, said he decided to endorse Rubio because he thinks he would have the best chance to beat the Democratic nominee in the general election.

Tennessee is among 11 states holding their Republican presidential primaries on Tuesday, when the biggest single-day haul of delegates of the campaign will be up for grabs.

Tennessee’s 58 delegates are the third-most available on Super Tuesday after Texas and Georgia. Candidates must earn at least 20 percent of the vote to earn a proportional share.

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