PA: Toomey Won't Challenge Specter

Former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-PA) has decided against a repeat run against incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) in a 2010 GOP primary, and is instead reported to be more interested in the governor's race taking place that year, according to the Morning Call.

This is great news for Specter, who already faces a tough reelection battle even without the prospect of a bruising primary battle with Toomey, who is much more conservative than Specter and would have run competitively with him had he ran.

Now, Specter won't have to veer to the right to appease the conservative base of his party to win the GOP nomination. He can now just focus on winning over the moderate Pennsylvania voters who have kept him in the Senate for the last 28 years.

Toomey, who is the current president of the conservative organization Club For Growth, narrowly lost to Specter in the 2004 GOP primary, and was Specter's only real reason to worry within his own party this time around. All Specter has to worry about now is who comes out of the Democratic primary, which should be a load off of his mind.