Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey voted for Sen. Ted Cruz for President in Tuesday’s Republican primary election.
“I voted for Ted Cruz,” Toomey told a reporter who filmed the exchange as Toomey headed to his car.
The Pennsylvania legislator described Cruz as a “solid conservative” to the Morning Call. Toomey referenced serving with Cruz in the U.S. Senate, saying that he believed the Texas senator has a “real, viable shot of beating Hillary Clinton.”
While Toomey voted for Cruz on Tuesday, he had not made a formal public endorsement.
Toomey previously supported Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Rubio dropped out of the race in mid-March after a crushing defeat to GOP frontrunner Donald Trump. With over 45 percent of the vote to Rubio’s 27, Trump took home all 99 of the Sunshine State’s delegates.
Radio host Chris Stigall asked Cruz on the Tuesday edition of his program, “Do you think Pat Toomey’s seat is in jeopardy if Donald Trump is the nominee?”
Cruz responded, “If Donald is the nominee every blue state and purple state Republican running is in grave jeopardy and there is nothing that can be done about it.”
“If I am the nominee, Pat Toomey gets re-elected. If Donald Trump is the nominee, the Senate is gone and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Toomey faces a tough re-election bid. Four Democrats are gunning for his job, according to ABC 27 News: retired admiral and former congressman Joe Sestak, former gubernatorial Chief of Staff Katie McGinty, Braddock mayor John Fetterman and Joe Vodvarka.
Trump had double digit polling leads in Pennsylvania on Tuesday. The statewide winner will take home 17 delegates and another 54 will be elected directly by the voters at the congressional district level. The 54 directly elected Pennsylvania delegates are unbound to any candidate on a first round vote for the Republican presidential nomination at the Republican National convention.
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