GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul received what his campaign described as a “game changing” endorsement Sunday, as influential South Carolina State Senator Tom Davis, officially gave his support to Paul.

The Senator, a heavyweight fiscal conservative in the South Carolina General Assembly, is extremely well regarded amongst Republicans and Tea Party activists and will undoubtedly bring voters to Ron Paul’s campaign ahead of the “First in the South” primary.

A Public Polling Policy poll of South Carolina voters released Friday shows 30 percent of voters in the state identify themselves as Tea Party members. Although Ron Paul is and always has been at the core of the real Tea Party message, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum have, up until now, polled the highest with self proclaimed Tea Partiers In South Carolina.

It is particularly important for Paul to secure Tea Party votes in this week’s primary, given that there are less independent voters in the state than in Iowa and New Hampshire.

“We’re excited and grateful to have Sen. Davis’s endorsement, as it carries tremendous weight in South Carolina,” said Ron Paul 2012 National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton. “Sen. Davis knows a true fiscal conservative when he sees one. He’s uniquely qualified to distinguish between establishment candidate Mitt Romney and the conservative alternative to Romney, Ron Paul.”

Davis recently slammed Romney over his Wall Street connections and support of the banker bailouts:

CONTINUED at Prison Planet. Written by Steve Watson. Videos at link.