In his bid for the Senate, former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson picked up an endorsement today from former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R).

“Tommy Thompson knows how to lead, knows how to create jobs, and save taxpayers money — and in these trying economic times, that’s exactly what we all need more of in Washington,” Huckabee said in a statement on his Huck PAC website.

The pair will appear together Thursday at a news conference in Milwaukee.

The two men have a common political foe in the Club for Growth, an anti-tax advocacy group. Over the course of their careers, both have been attacked by the club, including in negative TV ads.

In order to face presumptive Democratic nominee Rep. Tammy Baldwin in the general election, Thompson will have to defeat former Rep. Mark Neumann and state Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald in the Republican primary.

The seat is an open race to succeed retiring Sen. Herb Kohl (D). Roll Call Politics rates this race as a Tossup.