Santorum releases delegates ahead of GOP convention
(CNN) -- Rick Santorum, who at one point was Mitt Romney's top rival for the GOP presidential nomination, officially released his delegates Friday and encouraged them to back Romney at next week's Republican National Convention.
"I am pleased to share the news with my supporters that I am releasing my delegates in support of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan so we can go in to next week's convention united and committed to defeating Barack Obama in November," Santorum said in a Friday statement. "This is our opportunity to energize our party with a strong, conservative ticket. I look forward to making the case on Tuesday night for Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan, because I believe their conservative policies will put our country back on a path to prosperity."
The former senator from Pennsylvania said he will "make this announcement formal" in a letter later on Friday.
Santorum won the Iowa caucuses in January and came closest to Romney in the race for the Republican nomination. Santorum won 261 delegates before dropping out in mid-April as the delegate math appeared stacked against him. He later said other factors, including the health of his youngest daughter, played a role.
The Republican National Convention this week released a schedule showing Santorum among the speakers slated for Tuesday evening.
During his bid for the nomination, Santorum used scathing attacks on Romney for his role in Massachusetts' health care law, which was used as a model for the national law signed by President Barack Obama that Republicans have vowed to repeal.
In March, Santorum stood on the steps of the Supreme Court to blast Romney as the "worst candidate" to take on the president on health care.
In April, Santorum endorsed Romney in a late-night email to supporters, saying the former Massachusetts governor was a far better choice than President Barack Obama.
"Above all else, we both agree that President Obama must be defeated," Santorum wrote. "The task will not be easy. It will require all hands on deck if our nominee is to be victorious. Governor Romney will be that nominee and he has my endorsement and support to win this the most critical election of our lifetime."