Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, Friday, Feb. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

(CNSNews.com) – Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, whose conservative credentials have long been called into question, wooed a conservative audience Friday by highlighting what he called the “conservative constants” in his life.

“The values that allowed my parents to achieve their dreams are the same values they instilled in my siblings and me,” Romney said at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

“Those aren’t values I just talk about, they’re values that I live every day. My 42-year marriage to my wife Ann [and] the life we’ve built with our five sons; the faith that’s part of our life – these conservative constants have shaped my life.”

The measure of his success in making his case may have been seen on Saturday, when the former Massachusetts governor won the closely-watched CPAC straw poll. Romney took 38 percent of votes cast, beating former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (31 percent), former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (15 percent) and Texas Rep. Ron Paul (12 percent).

Romney also used his speech the previous day to tout his business experience, saying it was his business career that taught him to be a fiscal conservative.

“In business, if you’re not fiscally conservative, you’re bankrupt,” he said. “I spent 25 years balancing budgets, eliminating waste, and – by the way – keeping it as far away from government as humanly possible. I did some of the very things conservatism is designed for.”

Romney dedicated the bulk of his speech to making the case that the conservative positions he now espouses are the result of conviction, in a bid to assure a skeptical conservative movement that the change of heart has been genuine.

“My path to conservatism came through my family, from my faith, and from my life’s work,” Romney said.

“My family, my faith, [and] my businesses – I know conservatism because I have lived conservatism.”

Romney also defended his record as Massachusetts’ governor, saying that he had defended conservative principles during his tenure.

“As governor of Massachusetts I had the unique experience of defending conservative principles in the most liberal state in the nation,” he said.

He highlighted the fact that he reversed a $3 billion budget deficit without raising taxes – claiming that he cut taxes “19 times.”  He did not say, however, that he did increase fees associated with many state services in an effort to raise more government revenue.

Despite touting his gubernatorial record, Romney pointed out that he was “still a business guy,” saying that while he had served in government he had not adopted a government-first mentality.

“I served in government, but I didn’t inhale,” he joked.

Romney also defended his actions in the wake of a ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Court finding a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. Romney began issuing marriage licenses to gay couples despite not being required to do so by law.

Romney said he had prevented Massachusetts from issuing marriage licenses to out-of-state same-sex couples who could not get married in their own states.

“I successfully prohibited out-of-state couples from coming to our state to get married and then going home,” he said. “On my watch we fought hard and prevented Massachusetts from becoming the Las Vegas of gay marriage.”

In defending his pro-life policy stances, Romney pointed to his veto of an embryonic stem cell research bill in Massachusetts, his veto of a bill to allow minors to obtain abortifacients, and his support for abstinence education.

“My state was the leading indicator of what liberals would be trying to do across the country and are trying to do right now and I fought against long odds in a deep-blue state – but I was a severely conservative Republican governor,” he said.

“I understand the battles we as conservatives must fight because I have been on the front lines, and expect to be on the front lines again.”