Santorum: Gingrich lost Florida because he isn't a 'true conservative'

Rick Santorum's campaign accused Newt Gingrich of blowing the Florida primary because he wasn't a "true conservative."

"The Florida results are in, and despite spending millions Newt Gingrich went from a big lead to a big defeat. Why? Because voters discovered Gingrich wasn't a true conservative. Like Romney, Gingrich supported the Wall Street bailout, job-killing cap and trade, and radical healthcare mandates. Gingrich even supports giving some illegals amnesty," the voiceover in the Santorum radio ad says.

The ad goes on to argue that Santorum is the one true conservative in the race. Throughout his campaign, Santorum has worked to present himself as the authentic conservative in the Republican field. He's collected and highlighted endorsements of social groups and tacked to the right of the rest of the field on a number of issues.

Mitt Romney won Tuesday's Florida primary by a wide margin. The former Massachusetts governor came in first place with 46 percent of the vote, followed by Gingrich at about 32 percent of the vote, then Santorum with 13.4 percent of the vote and Ron Paul with 7 percent.

At his apex in Florida, in December, Gingrich was polling at the front of the pack at around 45 percent. Romney eventually overtook the former House Speaker in January.