[Updated at 11:32 a.m. ET] Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced Thursday he is suspending his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination and endorsing Newt Gingrich.
Perry said there was "no viable path forward" for his campaign. He said Gingrich has the "heart of a conservative reformer."
Newt Gingrich is "honored to have the support of Gov. Perry," he said on Twitter on Thursday. "I humbly ask his supporters to join our campaign so we can defeat Obama."
[Initial post, 9:23 a.m. ET] Rick Perry is telling supporters that he will drop his bid Thursday for the Republican presidential nomination, two sources familiar with his plans told CNN.
The Texas governor will make the announcement before the CNN debate in South Carolina, the sources said.
The South Carolina primary takes place Saturday.
Perry had poor showings in Iowa and New Hampshire, and had said he would launch a bid to win in South Carolina
