Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner got the backing Wednesday of several newly elected legislative Republicans in his bid for governor in 2010, giving him a majority of the GOP lawmakers serving in the next two years overall.

Just-elected Assembly members Bill Berryhill (R-Ceres), Connie Conway (R-Tulare), Danny Gilmore (R-Hanford), Curt Hagman (R-Chino Hills), Steve Knight (R-Palmdale), Jeff Miller (R-Corona) and Brian Nestande (R-Palm Desert) joined nine other assembly members who'd previously endorsed Poizner. Two other assemblymen just elected to new terms, Joel Anderson (R-El Cajon) and Bill Emmerson (R-Redlands) also endorsed Poizner for the first time.

State Senator-elect Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) joined a list of five other state senators and a state senator-elect in endorsing Poizner as well.

The list does not include, however, either Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines (R-Clovis) or Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto). Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R-Irvine), who will announce a bid for the U.S. Senate in 2010 later today, is also not on Poizner's endorsement list.