Texas governor Rick Perry to continue presidential campaign despite poor Iowa performance.

Texas Governor Rick Perry said Wednesday he will continue his presidential campaign despite a distant fifth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses.

"And the next leg of the marathon is the Palmetto State... Here we come South Carolina," Perry wrote on his Twitter account, hours after telling his supporters he would return to Texas to reassess his presidential campaign.

The tweet also included a photo of Perry jogging near a lake, wearing a Texas A&M running shorts and showing a thumbs-up.

After winning 10 percent of vote in Iowa on Tuesday, Perry told supporters at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, that he "decided to return to Texas and determine if there is a path forward."

"With a little reflection... I am going to decide the best path forward. There is a model to take this country forward and it is in the great state of Texas," he said.

After entering the race in August as a strong contender for the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, Perry nose-dived, plagued by missteps, most notably in debates.

In Iowa, Perry finished behind Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich.

Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum is still locked in dead heat with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, both at about 25 percent, with Santorum holding a razor-thin advantage, ShanhaiDaily reported.