Rick Perry, the conservative governor of Texas, declared himself a candidate for U.S. president on Saturday, shaking up the race for the Republican nomination to face Democratic President Barack Obama in 2012. Perry made the announcement in a statement issued 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." The three-term Texas governor has touted a record of job growth in Texas and also is known as a strident critic of federal power and an opponent of abortion rights. He is considered a strong fundraiser. 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.
