Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson is shifting his support to former U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra in the 2012 race against Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow.

Patterson has been backing Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner John P. McCulloch until Hoekstra entered the race.

Patterson said he believes that McCulloch will fold his campaign in deference to Hoekstra, although McCulloch has given no indication he's quitting the GOP nominating race.

"I understand that John will be withdrawing and throwing his support to Hoekstra," Patterson said Friday. "I don't know if I'm letting the cat out of the bag early but that decision, I think, has been made and so I will be supporting Pete Hoekstra from this day forward."

Now, McCulloch hasn't yet made it official, but I somehow don't think that L. Brooks is going to put himself out there like this unless he knows that John's calling it quits.