Former Gov. Bob Martinez is endorsing Rudy Giuliani in the Republican primary for president, the Giuliani campaign is expected to announce Monday.

The Giuliani campaign has timed its announcement to steal some thunder from one of Giuliani’s main competitors, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who’s making a public appearance Monday in Tampa.

The endorsement is a coup for the former New York City mayor. Martinez, also a former Tampa mayor, is a high-level campaign fundraiser and one of the most prominent Tampa Bay area GOP political figures. Plus, it comes at a time when many top Republican fundraisers in Florida are refusing to commit to any presidential candidate, waiting to see how the primary race is affected by former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, who is expected to announce his candidacy.

According to campaign spokesman Elliott Bundy, Attorney General Bill McCollum, who is state chairman for the Giuliani campaign and is close to Martinez, helped recruit the former governor to join the Giuliani team.

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