(RALEIGH) -- Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich is spending a lot of time in North Carolina this week. The former House Speaker told supporters in Raleigh on Monday that he is staying in the race to influence the party's platform.

Even though Gingrich is in third place and his poll numbers are shrinking, he said he is staying in the race to influence the party's platform. At the same time, he explained why he thinks frontrunner Mitt Romney will win the nomination and the White House.

"What I said was compared to Barack Obama he is conservative enough. But the question was, if you came down to a choice this fall between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney who would you be for?  And I think that compared to Barack Obama that he is clearly more conservative that Barack Obama is.  I don't think he as conservative as the Republican nominee should be," said Gingrich.

Gringrich continues his campaigning in North Carolina with a stop in New Bern on Tuesday.  He also has a Tea Party event planned in Greensboro on Saturday.