Rick Santorum Ends 2012 Presidential Campaign

GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum has officially suspended his campaign. With Santorum stepping aside, it appears increasingly likely that Mitt Romney will win the bid for the Republican ticket.

“This has been one of the hardest decisions Karen and I have ever had to face together,” Santorum said in a letter to his supporters. “And it has been hard in large measure because of you. I know that my candidacy has offered you a way to fight for your convictions, and I do not want to let you down.”

Santorum did not endorse Romney in his announcement. Instead, he said he would help the Republicans win the Senate in the November elections.

“From the start of this race I have offered a unique voice in the debate. One that the party and the country needs to hear. I have been your voice. I have been positive. I have been willing to stand for issues that some believe are controversial and would prefer to sweep under the rug,” Santorum said.

“We have carried the torch. High. Together we have fought for the principles that this country was founded on; that made this country great. Without fighting for them, this country cannot continue to be great.”

In response, presidential candidate Ron Paul issued a statement saying he is the “last—and real—conservative alternative to Mitt Romney. And candidate Newt Gingrich said he is “committed to staying in this race all the way to Tampa so that the conservative movement has a real choice.”

Finally, Romney had some kind words for his rival: “Sen. Santorum is an able and worthy competitor, and I congratulate him on the campaign he ran. He has proven himself to be an important voice in our party and in the nation. We both recognize that what is most important is putting the failures of the last three years behind us and setting America back on the path to prosperity.”