Rick Perry launches presidential bid

Rick Perry, the conservative governor of Texas, declared himself a candidate for president on Saturday, shaking up the race for the Republican nomination to face President Barack Obama in the 2012 election.

Perry made the announcement shortly before he was to address a gathering of conservatives in South Carolina to launch his campaign, Reuters reported.

"It is time to get America working again," Perry said in the statement. "That's why with the support of my family and an unwavering belief in the goodness of America, I declare to you today my candidacy for president of the United States."

He blasted the Obama administration on job growth. "One in six work-eligible Americans cannot find a full-time job," Perry said. "That is not a recovery, that is an economic disaster," USA Today reported.

The three-term Texas governor has touted a record of job growth in Texas and also is known as a fierce critic of federal power and an opponent of abortion rights and gay marriage. He is considered a strong fundraiser and has the proven backing of Christian groups, following last weeks prayer service which was attended by 30,000.

Opinion polls indicate Perry enters the race close on the heels of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, the early front-runner to win the 2012 Republican nomination, Reuters reported.