Governors, senators urge GOP to unite behind Romney

Updated 5:47 p.m. ET

GOP front-runner Mitt Romney picked up some big-name endorsements today as Rick Santorum suspended his presidential campaign.

Governors Terry Branstad of Iowa, Rick Scott of Florida and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, along with senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, all said it was time to for the Republican Party to unite behind Romney.

STORY:  Santorum suspends campaign

Jindal, an early supporter of Rick Perry, congratulated Romney "on winning a hard-fought race" and hit on the theme of the day for Republicans: It's game time with President Obama.

"It's time for all Republicans to focus their energies on the fall campaign, which will give Americans a fundamental choice between Obama's lurch toward European-style big government and the Republican alternative of a thriving private sector with a smaller government," Jindal said.

The support of Branstad and Scott are particularly critical, because both have campaign organizations in battleground states that could be helpful to Romney.

"I want to make a difference. I want to campaign actively," Branstad is quoted as saying in The Des Moines Register. "I want to help him carry the state of Iowa."

In his statement, Scott hailed Santorum's "willingness to put the best interest of our party and nation first."

"Mitt Romney will be our party's nominee and it is critical that all Republicans coalesce behind Governor Romney and focus on electing him as president so he can put the policies in place to create jobs, turn our economy around and get federal spending under control," Scott said.

Graham, who is an important GOP voice on national security and foreign policy issues, also urged Republicans to unite.

"Our party must aggressively pursue the conservative Democrats and independents needed to ensure Barack Obama is a one-term president. America cannot afford another four years of Barack Obama," said Graham, a close friend of 2008 GOP nominee John McCain, who is an active campaigner for Romney.