The wait is almost over. After weeks of hints and rumors, Texas Governor Rick Perry will reportedly announce a presidential run in South Carolina on Saturday.
According to Politico, the speech at a RedState convention may not mark his formal entrance into the race but will make clear his intentions. He’ll head to New Hampshire later the same day for a house party with State Rep. Pamela Tucker. Perry’s backers are reportedly trying to secure an early wave of donations in anticipation of his announcement in order to quickly establish his credibility.
The timing of Perry’s speech undercuts the Ames Straw Poll, a crucial event for many of the Republican candidates that will occur the same day. With Perry not participating, the results will likely hold less weight and may quickly be overshadowed by coverage of the Texas governor’s debut.
Benjy Sarlin
Benjy Sarlin is a reporter for Talking Points Memo and co-writes the campaign blog, TPM2012. He previously reported for The Daily Beast/Newsweek as their Washington Correspondent and covered local politics for the New York Sun.
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