While Mitt Romney's campaign tries to secure Rick Santorum's endorsement, Newt Gingrich said Saturday that he also wants the former Republican presidential candidate's support.

"He has to do what he thinks is right for his family, and if he has campaign debt, what he has to do to help pay his campaign debt. I'm not going to put any pressure on Rick, but I'd love his endorsement," Gingrich told reporters at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.

He added the two talked briefly on Friday, though did not give any details from their discussion.

"We had a nice chat," he said.

Gingrich was quick earlier in the week to go after Santorum's backers shortly after the former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania suspended his campaign Tuesday. In a statement, Gingrich urged Santorum supporters to join his side and donate to his campaign.

Santorum has not yet made his pick, but members of his campaign told CNN he will support Romney.

While Gingrich maintains he'll stay in the race until Romney clinches the nomination, the former House speaker admitted Saturday that his campaign rented out its donor list because it was in need of cash.

"That's a very common reason why people rent things out. We wanted the money," Gingrich said, adding that his campaign also pulled in online donations from 6,000 people this week.

The candidate will travel to a number of states next week, including Delaware and New York, two states that hold primaries on April 24. Despite Romney essentially locking up the GOP nomination this week after Santorum's exit, Gingrich insisted Republican voters still want another option.

"Our scenario is to make the case that if you want to beat Obama, having somebody who can debate him successfully is very, very important," Gingrich said. "I think that's a very healthy competition, and in the next couple of weeks we'll see how it works out."