Rick Santorum, former Pennsylvania senator and Pitt alumnus, announced the suspension of his… Rick Santorum, former Pennsylvania senator and Pitt alumnus, announced the suspension of his campaign for the presidency Tuesday.

In a message on his website, Santorum thanked his supporters for their donations and prayers and asked for one last donation: that of his supporters’ votes. Santorum’s statement said that he did not want to hurt his party’s chances of taking back the White House in November.

“I do not see a path forward that does not risk our shared objective of defeating Barack Obama in November,” the statement said.

Recent polls had shown Republican front-runner Mitt Romney catching up to Santorum in Pennsylvania, and Santorum noted the spending gap between him and the former Massachusetts governor.

“We have been outspent in most states 5-1 or even 10-1. And we still won, or we’ve come incredibly close,” the statement said.

Pennsylvania’s Republicans are set to vote on Tuesday, April 24, but without Santorum in the race, the election will be all but irrelevant.

The Republican Party of Pennsylvania also weighed in on Santorum’s announcement.

“For 16 years, Rick Santorum represented the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with honor and distinction as a member of the U.S. House of Representative and the U.S. Senate.  He was a leader on national issues and won the respect of Republicans, Democrats and Independents as a fierce advocate and someone who fervently advocated for Pennsylvanians,” said the statement by Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason.