He was perhaps the biggest of big figures when he announced his candidacy in this state on a Saturday in August. He seemed to be the ideal candidate to emerge from the crowded field to become the darling of conservatives and the principal alternative to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.
The two-hour debate, which started just after 8 p.m., was the final chance for rivals to chip away at Romney's lead in South Carolina and Gingrich, the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, had perhaps the best shot.
Romney will take a huge step toward claiming the Republican nomination if he wins on Saturday.
Fighting for their political lives at the debate were former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and libertarian Congressman Ron Paul of Texas.
Some polls showed Gingrich closing a large gap with Romney by attacking Romney's past as head of a private equity firm and labeling him a "Massachusetts moderate."
He got a boost when Perry endorsed him.
"A lot of good things are happening," Gingrich told reporters in Beaufort.
A strong performance in a debate in South Carolina on Monday helped him get within touching distance in the polls of Romney, who has struggled to explain why he has not released his tax forms.
But Gingrich has faced troubling questions that could halt his momentum. His ex-wife, Marianne, told ABC News that Gingrich had sought an "open marriage" while having an affair with current wife Callista. She said he should not be considered electable in the race to find a Republican challenger to Democratic President Barack Obama in next November's election.
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