MANCHESTER, N.H. — Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich called a truce Monday and vowed to run a positive campaign, saying his and his opponents’ shared goal of defeating President Barack Obama in 2012 was more important than winning the nomination.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Southern New Hampshire 9/12 Project, Gingrich said he planned to communicate this resolution to his staffers, consultants, and even the Super PACs supporting him, in a letter to be sent on Tuesday. (RELATED: Full coverage of Newt Gingrich)
He attributed the sentiment to his closest competitor, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. The two have exchanged pointed barbs in recent weeks as Gingrich has risen in the polls to supplant Romney as the acknowledged front-runner.
Gingrich pointed Romney’s statement earlier on Monday that as the primary went on, it was important to not go after one another with vicious attacks because they would risk weakening the ultimate nominee and potentially harm his or her chance of defeating Obama.
“I thank him for that position,” said Gingrich, “and I agree with him.”
Gingrich said he would send the letter Tuesday morning vowing to “run a positive campaign,” and that if any Super PAC or other organization supporting him did not hold to that, “I will publicly disown them and urge people not to donate to them.”
The Romney campaign, however, did not appear to be on the same page Monday evening. Just as Gingrich’s event was about to start, Romney’s camp blasted out an email attacking the former Speaker as an “unreliable leader.” The email contained a compilation of criticisms leveled against Gingrich by an assortment of pundits and publications.
Romney’s campaign did not respond to request for comment.