DeWine endorses Santorum

February 18, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

COLUMBUS

Republican state Attorney General Mike DeWine is now throwing his support behind GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum, four months after endorsing Mitt Romney for the party nomination.

DeWine made the announcement from the steps of the Ohio Statehouse, with the former Pennsylvania senator standing by his side, specifically voicing criticism of Romney campaign ads attacking Republicans.

“I firmly believed that Gov. Romney was the best candidate, had the best chance to beat Barack Obama,” DeWine said, concerning his earlier presidential pick. “I was wrong.”

He added, “I could not continue to be on record endorsing Gov. Romney when I knew in my heart that Rick Santorum was the best candidate. When I knew in my heart that Rick Santorum had, by far, the best chance of beating Barack Obama, which is what we absolutely have to do.”

DeWine’s endorsement came several days after a new Quinnipiac University Polling Institute poll that put Santorum ahead of Romney in Ohio, with more registered voters viewing the latter unfavorably.

“We feel very good about how things are going here in this state,” Santorum said. “We’re a neighbor from over just across the line in western Pennsylvania, and we understand the values of this state. We understand the grit, determination that the people of Ohio ... [have shown ] in fighting through tough economic times.”

Santorum also used his half-hour stop at the Statehouse to answer a few questions about various issues.

On criticism of his stance on contraceptives: Santorum said, as a Catholic, he and his wife do not use birth control, and he said he supports increased abstinence education.

But Santorum also said he has voted for bills that provided contraceptives for needy residents.

“My position is that birth control can and should be available,” he said.

On a potential national Right to Work law, Santorum said he supports a law to ban mandatory union membership or dues payments.

“Gov. Romney knows that I’ve agreed to sign a national Right to Work bill,” he said.