South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy officially endorsed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for president on Tuesday.

Gowdy, an influential Republican congressman who heads the House committee investigating the 2012 Benghazi attacks, made his announcement during a town hall meeting in Clinton, Iowa.

"I found hope in the son of a barkeep and housekeeper. I found my candidate. It's Marco Rubio," he said Tuesday.

"You want to know whether Marco is a fiscal conservative? Do what I did two weeks ago: Do a gift exchange with him over Christmas. The wrapping paper cost more than the tie. It was a 'Rubio for Senate' tie from 2010 that he gave me. So make no mistake, he is a fiscal conservative," Gowdy joked at the event.

He also said he is backing the Florida senator due to his strength and knowledge on issues regarding national security and public safety.

"I can't tell you who to vote for," Gowdy told the audience. "But I'm going to vote for Marco Rubio. National security and public safety are the most important issues. And Marco Rubio is the best for them."

The chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi also sent notice about his endorsement in a fundraising email sent by Rubio's campaign on Tuesday.

"Marco is a rock solid conservative and a leader we can trust. He is someone we can count on in Washington to stand true to his word," said Gowdy in the email, reports Politico. "And I know from experience: that is hard to find in Washington."

Gowdy's joins a group of fellow Republican senators backing Rubio, including Cory Gardner of Colorado, James Risch of Idaho, and Steve Daines of Montana.

Rubio has also scored major endorsements from wealthy Republican donors like Oklahoma City-based energy executive Larry Nichols, hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer, billionaire Florida car magnate Norman Braman and influential North Carolina businessman Art Pope.