South Carolina GOP leader Patrick Haddon, who formerly supported Texas Gov. Rick Perry in the 2012 presidential primary, yesterday announced his endorsement of Rick Santorum.

“After looking at all the candidates and their political careers, and looking for a true conservative that has been fighting for real Republican causes, there is only one candidate that has been a consistent conservative fighting [for] family values and supporting pro-life issues,” said Haddon, former chairman of the Greenville County GOP. “That is why Shelly and I are proud to endorse Senator Rick Santorum for President of the United States.”

Haddon’s endorsement of Santorum was at least the second defection from Perry’s South Carolina campaign this week. Spartanburg businessman Barry Wynn switched his endorsement to Mitt Romney, after denouncing Perry’s “destructive” attacks on Romney’s business record at Bain Capital.

Perry, who finished fifth in the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses and sixth in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary, is currently fifth in the Real Clear Politics average of South Carolina polls, with 5.7 percent. However, an Insider Advantage poll released this week showed Perry slipping to sixth place behind former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman.