Governor Rick Perry Drops Out of 2012 Presidential Race

Texas Governor Rick Perry has pulled out of the race for the republican presidential nomination, and has endorsed his rival Newt Gingrich for the position according to the Washington Times.

This comes only two days before the South Carolina primary, with Perry placing fifth in the Iowa primary and not participating in New Hampshire’s. Perry said he concluded there was no "viable path forward" for him in the race and knows “when to make a strategic retreat.”(AP) He praised Gingrich as a "conservative visionary," saying that although he has his faults, so do the other candidates.

Gingrich expressed the honor he felt at the announcement of Perry's support. He reached out to Perry supporters, asking them to look at his political record of budget balancing, spending cuts, welfare reform and job-growth policies when voting in the upcoming primary.

At the start of his bid in August, Perry was the strong frontrunner among the republican candidates. Many contribute Perry's fall in popularity most obviously to poor performance in debates.