Former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor will endorse presidential candidate Jeb Bush on Thursday, a source close to Cantor confirmed to CNN.
Cantor, 52, will be named a Virginia state co-chair of Bush’s 2016 campaign. A Bush campaign official also confirmed the endorsement, which was first reported by Politico.
“Governor Bush is the only true conservative that has both the vision and practical know how to get the country back on track,” the source close to Cantor said.
The former Virginia congressman left Congress more than a year ago after losing the primary to keep his seat, and now is vice chairman of Moelis & Company, a global investment bank.
While he no longer holds office, Cantor is still considered a power player in the Republican Party.
Bush, who many consider to be the establishment choice for the Republican nomination, has struggled in recent national and state polls, as outsider candidates like front-runner Donald Trump and retired neurosugeon Ben Carson have captured much of the race’s attention.
The former Florida governor has managed to rack up several high profile endorsements from sitting and former lawmakers.