Toomey votes for Ted Cruz

Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey voted for Ted Cruz in the Republican presidential primary Tuesday, siding with the most conservative voice in the field.

"He's a solid conservative," Toomey told Laura Olson of the Allentown Morning-Call, outside his polling place in Zionsville. "We don't agree on everything, but having served with him in the Senate, I know Ted pretty well and I think he's got a real, real viable shot of beating Hillary Clinton in the fall."

The vote is one reflection of Toomey's philosophy as his party chooses between Cruz, a Texas senator who appeals to the party's hard right, Donald Trump, who has stirred voters' anger – resulting in both support and rejection – and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who has campaigned as the candidate most able to win a general election.

Democrats quickly pounced on the news, eager to link Toomey to Cruz, who many Democrats – and some Pennsylvania Republicans – say is too conservative for the moderate state.

"By voting for Cruz today, Pat Toomey revealed what he often tries to hide to Pennsylvanians -- how extreme his record truly is," said Preston Maddock a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Democratic state committee.

Democrats are aiming to unseat Toomey this fall in one of the most closely-watched Senate races in the country. Toomey, who faces no opposition in today's primary voting, will find out his Democratic opponent tonight.

Atop the field are Joe Sestak, a retired admiral and former Congressman, and Katie McGinty, Gov. Wolf's former chief-of-staff. Two others, Braddock Mayor John Fetterman and Western Pennsylvania spring manufacturer Joseph Vodvarka trail the two leaders.

Much of Pennsylvania's Republican establishment has lined up with Kasich and see him as the most electable of the remaining options. Several polls in Pennsylvania show him as the candidate who fares best in a hypothetical match-up against Clinton.

Toomey previously endorsed Marco Rubio in the GOP primary, but the Florida senator dropped out of the race.

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