Rick Perry headed to South Carolina
WEST DES MOINES, IA – JANUARY 3: Republican presidential candidate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks with supporters after hearing the results of the Iowa caucus at the Sheraton January 3, 2012 in West Des Moines, Iowa. The Texas Gov. has decided to return to his home state and reassess his candidacy after finishing 5th. (Photo by Jonathan Gibby/Getty Images)
Texas Governor Rick Perry's latest tweet seems to indicate he is headed to South Carolina for the next leg of the Republican presidential campaign trail, despite a disappointing fifth place finish in the Iowa caucuses.
Perry's tweet says, "And the next leg of the marathon is the Palmetto State…Here we come South Carolina!!!" and includes a picture of him in running gear, as CNN reports.
Perry announced Tuesday night that he would be heading back to Austin, Texas to reassess whether to continue his presidential campaign after a poor showing in fifth place at the Iowa caucuses, according to TIME.
Speaking to a group of supporters, Perry said, “With the voters’ decision tonight, I’ve decided to return to Texas, assess the results of tonight’s caucus, determine whether there is a path forward for myself in this race.”
Campaigning aggressively in the state, Perry’s campaign spent $4 million in advertising and had the help of over 500 volunteers in appealing to Iowa’s voters, according to ABC news. Perry was originally planning to continue his campaign in South Carolina regardless of the outcome in Iowa, but the dismal results have prompted a reassessment.
More on GlobalPost: Iowa Results: clear as mud
Perry’s high poll numbers during the summer deteriorated after poorly handled debate performances, including the now well-known “oops” moment during the debate in Michigan on November 9th, when Perry could not name the third federal agency he would eliminate.
An ad released in early December by Perry went viral because of its controversial anti-gay message. Currently at 7.5 million views, the ad shows Perry saying, “I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a Christian, but you don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.”
More on GlobalPost: Romney wins Iowa caucuses by 8 votes as Santorum surges to second
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