By Alex Roarty
PoliticsPA Staff Writer
roarty@politicspa.com

HARRISBURG — Pat Toomey, just minutes after receiving the state Republican Party’s endorsement, said Saturday afternoon that he will not endorse any other GOP candidate running in 2010, including Republican gubernatorial front-runner Tom Corbett.

“I’m just going to focus on my race,” Toomey told reporters after being repeatedly asked about a potential endorsement.

Corbett received the state party’s endorsement shortly after Toomey did, and, along with Lieutenant Governor candidate Jim Cawley, shared the stage at the end of the GOP’s meeting as the party’s official ticket.

If party and Corbett officials were bothered by Toomey‘s decision not to endorse the endorsed gubernatorial candidate, who faces state Rep. Sam Rohrer in a primary, they didn‘t show it.

“That’s his business,” said state party Chairman Rob Gleason, Jr.

He added later, “I wouldn‘t even pretend to comment on that.”

Brian Nutt, Corbett’s campaign manager, said Toomey‘s decision to withhold a formal endorsement is “more semantics than anything else.”

“They’re going to be a lot of opportunities, a lot of events where the three of them will be” at the same event, said Nutt, speaking of the endorsed ticket.

Corbett is the heavy favorite against Rohrer, but his candidacy is one most observers and GOP strategists take seriously. The state lawmaker is trying to position himself as the fiscally conservative, grassroots alternative to Corbett, who has a law and order background and the support of nearly every Republican official.

An endorsement from Toomey, who remains a favorite of many conservatives, would hurt Rohrer‘s message while boosting Corbett’s fiscal conservative credentials.

Toomey’s decision not to endorse cuts both ways. Many of Rohrer’s supporters have been vigilant Toomey backers in the past, and endorsing Corbett might alienate their support.

Toomey was scheduled to speak at Rohrer’s “Mobilize for Liberty” campaign event Saturday, but he did not appear.

“Perhaps communication broke down,” said one of the event’s speakers. “We’re not sure.”

The Toomey campaign had said it had a scheduling conflict that prevented him from speaking.

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