The Hill News

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) said Saturday he's running for president, touching on religious themes and a small-government message to launch his campaign.

Perry made his long-expected candidacy official on his website, and was due in Charleston, S.C. to make a speech about his candidacy to conservative activists shortly after 1 p.m. EST.

"We will not sit back and accept our current misery…because a great country requires a better direction…because a renewed nation requires a new president," Perry wrote. "That’s why, with faith in God, the support of my family, and an unwavering belief in the goodness of America, I am a candidate for president of the United States."

Perry touched on themes of service and religion, but made a big part of his pitch to voters based on his record of job creation in Texas.

"My mission as your president will be to get America working again!" he said.