With no time to spare, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz trot out Georgia endorsements

110809 Dalton : Rep. Tom Graves (center) speaks during a town hall meeting at Dalton Freight Depot in Dalton on Tuesday, August 9, 2011. Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-09) hosts a series of town hall meetings across the 9th Congressional District during the month of August. Hyosub Shin, hshin@ajc.com Rep. Tom Graves speaks in Dalton in 2011 (AJC file/Hyosub Shin)

110809 Dalton : Rep. Tom Graves (center) speaks during a town hall meeting at Dalton Freight Depot in Dalton on Tuesday, August 9, 2011. Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-09) hosts a series of town hall meetings across the 9th Congressional District during the month of August. Hyosub Shin, hshin@ajc.com Rep. Tom Graves speaks in Dalton in 2011 (AJC file/Hyosub Shin)

U.S. Rep. Tom Graves has sent out a note endorsing Marco Rubio in the GOP presidential contest, joining Georgia GOP colleagues Austin Scott and Lynn Westmoreland.

We’ve also got some new Ted Cruz endorsements, including a school superintendent and the No. 2 Republican in the state Senate, but congressmen first.

Graves said he’s known the senator since 2008, when Rubio was speaker of the state House in Florida. Said Graves:

"I have a lot of respect for Senator Ted Cruz, Dr. Ben Carson, and Governor John Kasich. They are all good men who bring different positive attributes to the Republican party.

"When it comes to Donald Trump, I don't feel like I really know the man or what he truly believes on various issues. Unfortunately, given the developments this weekend, it turns out that my hesitations were well founded.

"I have trouble seeing how he lines up with the great tradition of Lincoln and Reagan, and I'm concerned that many of his statements run afoul of the Constitution, my values and my beliefs. Then there's a simpler test: would I be comfortable if my three children acted like Trump? Certainly not.

"If you're a Trump supporter in Georgia's 14th District, I can relate to your frustration and your deep desire to end business as usual in American politics and government. I respect that and agree with you. But it might be worthwhile to consider some of the same questions that I have had about Trump."

Lining up behind Ted Cruz, the U.S. senator from Texas:

-- David Shafer, state Senate president pro tempore;

-- State Sen. Hunter Hill, R-Atlanta;

-- State Rep. Earl Ehrhart, R-Powder Springs;

-- State Rep. Scot Turner, R-Holly Springs;

-- Cobb County Sheriff Neil Warren;

-- and Cobb County Solicitor Barry Morgan.