The former U.S. senator who built the case as the conservative alternative to Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney has suspended his campaign.

Rick Santorum's New Hampshire supporters were saddened by the news Tuesday, but proud to have stood with him.

Daniel Tamburello, a state co-chairman for Santorum, said Santorum made a good case for being the conservative choice. Ultimately, Tamburello said, Santorum will have made Romney a stronger candidate in the general election.

"That whole campaign is testament to the fact that Rick is a genuine human being," Tamburello said in a phone interview with Patch. "When people talked to Rick, looked into this eyes, they believed what he said."

Santorum made the decision after taking a break from campaigning over the weekend, partly because of his sick daughter, Bella. It also comes as his campaign had cast the upcoming primary contest in Pennsylvania, his home state, as the turnaround point. 

Tamburello, a state representative from Londonderry, said he has all along committed to supporting the eventual GOP presidential nominee. "I don't think this country can stand another term of Barack Obama's presidency," he said.

But that cannot be said of all Santorum supporters.

Jerry DeLemus, a prominent Tea Party leader in New Hampshire who personally supported Santorum, reiterated today that he cannot support Romney.

"I've said I wouldn't vote for Romney," DeLemus tells Patch. "I think he completely dissed the liberty groups in New Hampshire. He's done nothing to change my mind."

"I didn't say I wasn't going to vote for somebody, but I wouldn't vote for Romney," he added. "My vote is a sacred issue with me. If I don't believe in someone, or I have a problem with trust for that particular person, I'm not going to vote for him."

DeLemus, the founder of the Rochester 912 Project and former head of the Granite State Patriots Liberty PAC, is speaking for himself, not on behalf of the Liberty group or any of its members. It became the question during the New Hampshire Primary: what if the various Tea Party members could unite behind a presidential candidate? The answer emerged that Tea Party members, while highly engaged, are highly independent voters.

In DeLemus' opinion, Santorum at least listened, while Romney ignored Liberty groups.

"He's snubbed us and he's going to snub his way right into the nomination," DeLemus said.

So what happened to "Anybody But Obama?" That "is just what gets us into trouble," DeLemus said. "We can race off a cliff with Obama, or we can slowly go off a cliff with Romney."

Romney was right on one score, DeLemus admits: The delegate math became inevitable.

Santorum, after stunning success in the Iowa caucuses, was unable to translate that momentum into a bigger splash in the first-in-the-nation primary. He captured fourth place in New Hampshire, with 23,432 votes. 

His was a New Hampshire-infused campaign.

Michael Biundo, his campaign manager, is from Manchester, N.H. And his three well-known co-chairmen in the state – Tamburello, Bill Cahill, and Claira Monier – helped coordinate an enthusiastic, sweater-vest wearing grassroots following.

Santorum collected praise from rivals, almost immediately. Jim Merrill, a Romney adviser in New Hampshire, also Tweeted, "Congrats to Team Santorum and NH operative @MichaelBiundo for a race very well run. Hell of a job."

New Hampshire House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt, a Salem Republican who endorsed Romney last year, said Santorum made the right call so that the GOP could coalesce behind Romney.

"It's a critical, critical time," Bettencourt said. "Senator Santorum made absolutely the right decision to maximize the party's chances of success. I'm very impressed with the race he ran. I'm particularly proud of my good friend Mike Biundo, who ran that campaign and did an amazing job. When you consider where Rick Santorum stood in the race a year ago and where he is to this day, it's quite impressive."

Santorum may be out this campaign, but he remains a conservative leader, said Jennifer Horn, who hosted Santorum and other presidential contenders in the popular primary series, "We The People: A First in the Nation Freedom Forum."

"Senator Santorum is a man of great principle and character," she said. "He has run a strong campaign and has earned the support and respect of millions of Americans. I am certain he will continue to be a leading voice for the conservative movement. More importantly, he is a man of faith and family and I know I am not alone in sending prayers and best wishes for his daughter, Bella."

Horn said Republicans across the spectrum, including liberty activists, would unite to defeat President Obama in the fall.

In the end, the delegate numbers did not materialize, according to Fran Wendelboe, a former state lawmaker, businesswoman, writer and political consultant.

"Reality check of the math kicking in," Wendelboe wrote in an email responding to the campaign developments. "Santorum dropping out means he will live to run another race someday. An honorable gentleman who did far better than anyone thought he would...and he can thank New Hampshire's Mike Biundo for that!"

Marc.Fortier@patch.com contributed to this report.