Gingrich to suspend campaign Tuesday

Gingrich has not explicitly stated his plans but he said Wednesday morning at a GOP breakfast in Cramerton, N.C., that he was beginning his "transition" out of the race and acknowledged that Romney "is ultimately going to be the nominee."

Speaking the morning after a series of five blowout primary losses to Romney, Gingrich said it has become apparent that the voters have not picked him as the GOP standard-bearer against President Barack Obama and that he wants to continue pushing conservative ideas "as a citizen."

"I think obviously that I would be a better candidate, but the objective fact is the voters didn’t think that," Gingrich told about 75 well-wishers at a Gaston County GOP breakfast, just west of Charlotte. "And I also think it's very, very important that we be unified. No conservative anywhere in America should have any doubt about the importance of defeating Barack Obama."

The remarks were the strongest indication yet that Gingrich is dropping out of the race -- but he did not formally suspend his campaign and declined to elaborate on his remarks to inquiring reporters after the speech.

"We’ll be working out the details of our transition and we’ll have information for the press in the next couple days," Gingrich said. "But I am committed to this party. I am committed to defeating Obama. We will find ways to be helpful but I do think it’s pretty clear that Gov. Romney is ultimately going to be the nominee."

Tuesday night in Concord, N.C., Gingrich absorbed the blow of major losses in five states including Delaware, where Gingrich spent significant time campaigning and thought he could spring an upset.

The primaries in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York were the first contests since former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum dropped out of the race earlier this month. After Santorum left the race, Gingrich declared himself the “last conservative standing” against Romney, but almost every other observer declared the primary finished. Romney has been sparring more with Obama and talk has turned to who his running mate will be.

Romney spoke Tuesday in Manchester, N.H. to frame the general election battle in the place he began his campaign.

“After 43 primaries and caucuses, many long days and not a few long nights, I can say with confidence – and gratitude – that you have given me a great honor and solemn responsibility,” Romney said, according to his prepared remarks. “And, together, we will win on November 6th.”

National Journal reported Wednesday morning that the Republican National Committee formally has declared Romney the "presumptive" nominee and has begun working with him.

Gingrich, the former U.S. House Speaker from Georgia, maintained that he was committed to bringing conservative ideas to the Republican convention in Tampa.

“Over the next few days we’re going to look realistically at where we’re at,” Gingrich said Tuesday in Concord. He said he is excited to continue campaigning, “But I also want to do that as somebody who’s a unifier and somebody who’s realistic.”

Gingrich said Tuesday he would start by reaching out to his donors and he committed to keeping his hectic campaign schedule in North Carolina through Friday. He plans to attend the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday in Washington.

"As you know I’ve been coming here a long time as a citizen, I’m going to keep coming as a citizen," he said Wednesday morning. "I have a schedule for the rest of the week as a citizen. I’m going to be out talking about these kinds of issues. … I have a number of specific ideas that I think will make our platform stronger, will make our country stronger and Callista and I are committed to going to Tampa and taking these ideas forward."

Gingrich’s only primary victories came in South Carolina in January and his old home state of Georgia in early March. A string of poor showings in Deep South states left him on the periphery of the race, though he has steadfastly refused to quit.

As Romney turned to the general election, Gingrich only drew major attention recently when he was bitten by a penguin at a zoo in St. Louis and for his campaign’s poor finances: He carried $4.3 million in debt at the end of March, though much of his protection and ground transportation comes at taxpayer expense thanks to his Secret Service detail, which began in mid-March. Texas Rep. Ron Paul, the other remaining candidate in the race, does not have Secret Service protection.

A Gingrich-allied Super PAC, Winning Our Future, functioning almost entirely on donations from the family of casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, had $5 million available at the start of the month for a media campaign on Gingrich's behalf.

But while almost no one was watching, Gingrich saw Delaware – a small, quirky state with a conservative Republican base that nominated tea party star Christine O’Donnell in a 2010 Senate race – as an opportunity to pull a fast one.

With the Romney campaign ignoring it and Gingrich able to commute by car or train from his Northern Virginia home, he hit the trail hard. Gingrich scheduled 12 events over seven days in the state this month. His wife, Callista, campaigned there several times without him.

He drew conservative voters who are still dissatisfied with Romney. During an April 5 Gingrich visit to Millsboro, Del., Betty Timmons told the AJC, “I don’t think Romney’s any better than Obama, I really don’t.”

Her view was not shared by enough of her fellow residents. Romney defeated Gingrich by a wide margin, even in the state’s two rural counties.

According to an Associated Press tally Wednesday, Romney had secured 844 convention delegates to Gingrich's 137. A total of 1,144 is required to clinch the nomination.