California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is today expected to endorse Republican John McCain's bid for president.
Mr Schwarzenegger, a moderate Republican who had largely stayed out of the presidential race, will announce his backing for Mr McCain when the two appear together at an event in Los Angeles today, McCain aides said.
Senator John McCain and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
The former actor's support could give the Arizona senator, a front-runner for the Republican nomination, an important boost in California, which is among more than 20 states that will hold nomination contests on "Super Tuesday" next week.
The latest polls show Mr McCain leading former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney by double digits among likely California primary voters, although some 40 per cent said they could change their minds before they vote.
Democrat John Edwards and Republican Rudy Giuliani abandoned their US presidential bids yesterday, narrowing the field in both parties to two main candidates ahead of next week's big multi-state nominating contest.
Dropping out of the race last night, Mr Giuliani endorsed Mr McCain.
Mr Giuliani had decided not to campaign heavily in the early primary states and concentrated his efforts on Florida, hoping for a strong showing in the fourth most-populous US state.
Instead, his absence from the early primary states appeared to hurt his campaign, and he ended up finishing third in Florida behind Mr McCain and Mr Romney.
While Mr Giuliani's decision was widely expected, Mr Edwards' move came as a surprise, as he had vowed last week to stay in the race until at least next Tuesday.
"It is time for me to step aside so that history can blaze its path," the former North Carolina senator said. He did not immediately endorse either of his rivals.