U.S. news outlets say the governor of the southern state of Texas, Rick Perry, is dropping out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

His withdrawal comes just two days before the South Carolina primary election.

Thursday's reports cite unnamed sources as saying Perry is ending his bid following a poor showing in the first nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Perry finished fifth in the Iowa caucuses and his vote count lagged far behind the other five major candidates in New Hampshire.

He had been campaigning in South Carolina ahead of the primary on Saturday. Perry's pledge to reduce the size of the federal government made him appealing to supporters of the ultra-conservative Tea Party movement.