Tuesday afternoon, Pat Toomey received the kind of news political candidates only dream of.

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, his longtime nemesis and main foe in a 2010 Republican Senate primary, had just become a Democrat, catapulting Toomey into de facto front-runner in a race with national implications.

Suddenly, Toomey was everywhere: TV, radio, the cover of national newspapers, the blogosphere. Most candidates cast as giant-killer would have bragged and thumped their chests.

Not Toomey, who at 47 is embarking on a fifth career.

''I have a remarkable level of support across Pennsylvania and a huge influx of financial support,'' he said matter-of-factly by phone while driving to Philadelphia for television interviews. ''I am confident I will win the Republican nomination.''