John McCain’s campaign for the Republican presidential nomination gained further momentum on Thursday when he received an endorsement from Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor of California reports the Financial Times.

”He is a fantastic public servant and a great American hero,” said Mr. Schwarzenegger, who was standing alongside Rudy Giuliani, who also endorsed Mr. McCain after dropping out of the race on Wednesday. ”Senator McCain has proven over and over again that he can reach across the aisle to get things done.”

It was the second high profile endorsement for Mr McCain in 24 hours, after Rudy Giuliani’s decision to back the Arizona senator after scrapping his own presidential bid on Wednesday.

Mr. McCain solidified his status as Republican frontrunner by beating Mitt Romney in the Florida primary on Tuesday and he could move to the brink of the nomination by winning most of the 22 states that vote on Super Tuesday next week. Mr. Romney is battling to remain in contention but the big-name endorsements for his opponent were another demoralizing setback after defeat in Florida.

Mr. Schwarzenegger and Mr. Giuliani are two of the best-known and most popular figures in the Republican Party and their support could bring significant benefits for Mr McCain.

In addition to adding star power to his campaign, the pair will give Mr McCain access to strong support and fundraising networks in two of the most important battlegrounds on Super Tuesday: New York and California.

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