Newt Gingrich will end his bid for the Republican presidential nomination on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., a source close to the former House speaker told CNN.

Previous reports said Gingrich would likely quit the race on Tuesday.

Gingrich is expected to express his support for likely GOP nominee Mitt Romney.

The two spoke by phone last week, a Gingrich spokesman said.

The decision to make the announcement this week was due to logistical reasons, sources told CNN last week.

Gingrich will leave the Republican presidential campaign with a mixed legacy.

The former speaker was left for political dead last year after his top campaign advisers quit over a disagreement on the direction of the campaign and its financial structure.

But he came roaring back in late 2011 due in part to a Republican electorate that was not sold on Romney's candidacy.