A month after dropping out of the race, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced Monday he’s backing Mitt Romney in his bid for the presidency, according to the Star Tribune.

Pawlenty will serve as Romney’s national campaign co-chair. Vin Weber, one of Pawlenty’s top advisers during his own campaign, jumped  to Romney’s camp in late August.

“Romney is running for president because he is deeply committed to our country, troubled by its current condition, and I believe he can turn it around,” Pawlenty wrote in his endorsement email, which was sent through Romney’s campaign Monday morning. “Alone among the contenders, he possesses the unique qualifications to confront and master our severe economic predicament.”

Pawlenty denied any interest in becoming a vice presidential candidate for Romney or any other Republican during an interview to announce his endorsement on Fox News Monday.

“I’m not even going to consider that,” Pawlenty said Monday. “That won’t be part of the future for me.”

It’s unclear whether the Minnesotan’s endorsement will help Romney recapture some of the steam he has lost in the past month. Among Republican voters, Romney is trailing Texas Gov. Rick Perry 32 to 21 percent, according to a recent poll from CNN and ORC International.

It’s hard to imagine Pawlenty’s support will help win favor of some of the fervent, Tea Party conservatives that have rallied behind Perry since he entered the race in mid-August. Despite Pawlenty’s health care jab, the two men are both generally considered moderate conservatives.