In an email to supporters, former Sen. Rick Santorum made a much-anticipated announcement tonight in giving his support to Mitt Romney’s presidential candidacy.

“Above all else, we both agree that President Obama must be defeated. 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.”

While the endorsement may not come as a surprise, the road to reconciliation has not been easy. Santorum enthusiastically endorsed Romney during the 2008 Republican presidential primary, but he took a few weeks to come around after suspending his campaign nearly a month ago.

The email addressed the Monday meeting between Santorum and Romney in Pittsburgh, where he said he had a candid conversation with the likely Republican presidential nominee.

He said the two talked about attracting the attention of social conservatives, tea party members and lower-to-middle income earners.

“During our meeting I felt a deep responsibility to assess Governor Romney’s commitment to addressing the issues most important to conservatives, as well his commitment to ensuring our appropriate representation in a Romney administration.”

Santorum concluded his email by thanking his supporters, but reminded them that the most important stage is yet to come, and that he and Romney agree on what matters: defeating Obama.

The Democratic National Committee took advantage of the hesitation, and released a well-timed ad earlier this week when Romney and Santorum met during an event in Pittsburgh. During the campaign stop, Romney touted his plans to improve economic conditions for small businesses while blasting Obama’s record on job growth.

The DNC ad shows Santorum repeatedly stating that a Romney presidency would be economically disastrous. Throughout the video, Santorum continually states that Romney was ranked 47th out of 50 in job creation as Massachusetts’ governor.