Claiming that his campaign was "winning in a different way" and balleyhooing that "against all odds" he had won 11 states, GOP hopeful Rick Santorum quit his presidential campaign Tuesday.

The former senator from Pennsylvania made the announcement in front of his family and supporters in Gettysburg, stating that although this campaign is over, the party's fight to defeat President Barack Obama will go on.

“We made a decision to get into this race at our kitchen against all the odds, and we made a decision over the weekend that while this presidential race for us is over – for me – and we will suspend our campaign effective today, we are not done fighting.”

Santorum canceled several campaign events after his three-year-old daughter was admitted to a Virginia hospital late last week. He suggested her health was a factor in his choice to drop out.

It’s now all but likely that Mitt Romney will claim the Republican nomination. The former Massachusetts Governor holds an overwhelming delegate lead among the remaining GOP presidential nominees. Romney released a statement shortly after the announcement, calling Santorum an “able and worthy competitor.”

Santorum, however, made no mention of Romney in his concession speech.

Romney has more than twice as many delegates as Santorum and is on pace to reach the number needed to clinch the nomination - 1,144 - by early June.

Still in the race, but even further behind are former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Rep. Ron Paul.

The Associated Press contributed to this story