Long Island, N.Y.— Republican Presidential Candidate Newt Gingrich said he will miss Herman Cain on the campaign trail after Cain suspended his candidacy from the Republican race Saturday.

“I found campaigning with him to be always positive. He was always good humored. He was always optimistic,” Gingrich said. “We’ll miss him on the campaign trail but I can appreciate why in the current circumstance he decided to go back to being a private citizen rather than a candidate.”

Cain said he will endorse a candidate for president, but Gingrich says he will meet with Cain sometime next week.

“I don’t anticipate anything. Herman Cain’s got to make up his own mind,” Gingrich said. “I suspect he’ll meet with all the candidates and talk through what he intends to do with his organization and talk through issues.”

Gingrich said Cain is his friend and raised the level of discussion on economic reform with his 9-9-9 plan.

“I think he deserves a great deal of credit for having the courage to run, for having the courage of big ideas and for having had the clarity to say that in a way that many Americans found them very, very positive.”

Herman Cain’s support has faded in the last several weeks with allegations of sexual assault from the 90's and a woman who claims she had a long-term affair with Cain.

Gingrich came to Cain’s defense when reports originally surfaced, calling the media reports about a Cain a “witch-hunt” created by the media.