Rick Perry's Departure Would Bolster Anti-Romney Candidates

Rick Perry's "reassessment" of his faltering presidential campaign could give a further boost to Rick Santorum.

Santorum, who tied Mitt Romney atop the Iowa caucuses Tuesday night, was the second choice of Perry voters, according to Public Policy Polling.

A previous PPP survey found that Michele Bachmann was the back-up choice of 39 percent of Perry supporters.

In each case, Romney trailed far behind as an alternative for Perry's backers.

The Texas governor, who finished fifth in Iowa with 10 percent of the vote, told his supporters Tuesday night that he was returning to the Lone Star State to consider the status of his campaign.

"With a little prayer and reflection, I'm going to decide the best path forward," Perry said.