Limehouse Endorses Rick Perry

Scores of South Carolina Republicans are backing Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry for his party's presidential nomination.

This week, Perry's campaign announced that Charleston Rep. Chip Limehouse, who represents Mount Pleasant in the statehouse, has endorsed Perry.

He joined State Sens. Paul Campbell, Larry Grooms (R-Bonneau), Mike Rose and Rep. Chris Murphy of Summerville, along with Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler of Cherokee County, in supporting Perry.

Read the full list of backers.

In a statement released by the campaign, Campbell cited Perry's executive experience.

"I believe Governor Perry is the only candidate in the race who can take back the White House and restore a path of prosperity for America," Campbell said. "I'm supporting Rick Perry and I will be encouraging others to do the same."

A new Winthrop University poll released on Tuesday showed Perry holding a narrow lead on former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney among South Carolina Republicans.

The results, released Tuesday, show that of respondents who said that they definitely planned to vote in South Carolina's presidential primary, 30.5 percent favored Perry and 27.3 percent supported Romney.

In a poll released in August, Perry held a double-digit lead on Romney.

Influential conservatives in South Carolina, New Hampshire and Iowa described Gov. Rick Perry as a George Bush-like leader who can beat President Obama in a recent Huffington Post/ Patch poll.

Perry was endorsed earlier this month by Mick Mulvaney, a Republican who represents the 5th District in South Carolina's Pee Dee, during the Palmetto Freedom Forum.

But several top S.C. Republican endorsements are yet to come. U.S. Sens. Jim DeMint and Lindsey Graham have not tipped their hands, and neither has Gov. Nikki Haley. And other than Mulvaney, none of the Palmetto State's Republican Congressmen have thrown their support to a candidate.

Perry announced his candidacy Aug. 13 in Charleston and picked up a key endorsement seven days later from former U.S. Ambassador and S.C. House Speaker David Wilkins.