Rick Perry on the campaign trail

Despite some stumbles in his campaign -- including what was dubbed his "oops" moment in a November debate -- many believe Texas governor Rick Perry is still a competitive candidate in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Perry, who embraced the Tea Party early on, has strong conservative credentials and enduring ties with the Republican establishment. Plus, many think he has the ability to bridge the divide between the Tea Party conservatives and mainstream Republicans.

In the following slides, CBSNews.com takes a look back on his career -- and at his recent time on the campaign trail.

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