The kiss of death for the 2016 GOP candidates? A governor's endorsement.

Marco Rubio
(Image credit: Getty Images)

In yet another indicator of the Republican establishment's slipping grip on its party, almost every GOP candidate that was endorsed by a governor has so far lost his or her state. The pattern began with the nation's first contest in Iowa on Feb. 1, when Ted Cruz bested Donald Trump and the rest of the field — much to the chagrin of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, who actively discouraged Iowans from voting for Cruz. Ahead of the South Carolina primary on Feb. 20, Gov. Nikki Haley threw her much-coveted support behind Marco Rubio — only to see Donald Trump win all 50 of the Palmetto State's delegates. The trend continues:

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Kimberly Alters

Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.