Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday announced that he would be endorsing fellow Likud member Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Minister Zeev Elkin's bid for the position of Jerusalem mayor.
The municipal elections are scheduled to take place on October 30.
Netanyahu endorsement comes nearly two months after Elkin announced his candidacy.
"I support Minister Zeev Elkin for mayor of Jerusalem," Netanyahu tweeted.
"As an MK, as a minister, and particularly as the Jerusalem affairs and heritage minister, Elkin has done so much for our capital and proved that it is close to his heart and very dear to him. I wish him great success."
Elkin thanked Netanyahu, tweeting, "I thank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his support of my candidacy for the mayor of Jerusalem. I have no doubt that, as mayor of Jerusalem, I will continue to work with the government to make Jerusalem stronger."
Elkin's opponents in the mayoral race include Deputy Mayor Moshe Lion, Kulanu MK Rachel Azaria, former Deputy Mayor Ofer Berkovitch, Jerusalem City Councilman Aryeh King and ultra-Orthodox Deputy Mayor Yossi Deitch.
Zionist Union MK Nachman Shai is also said to be considering a mayoral bid. The extremist haredi Jerusalem Faction is also considering endorsing its own candidate in the race, Chaim Epstein, mostly to rival Deitch.
Barkat, who announced in March that he would not seek a third term as mayor and will instead vie for a Knesset seat on the Likud's ticket, endorsed Elkin last month.
Elkin has also been endorsed by a series of prominent religious Zionist rabbis.
Lion, Elkin's strongest rival, has so far been endorsed by Shas leader Interior Minister Aryeh Deri and Yisrael Beytenu leader Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
Netanyahu's endorsement of Elkin was seen as a blow to the other candidates, who had reportedly hoped the prime minister would remain neutral on the matter.
