CAMP HILL — Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, who in 14 months has emerged as a visible free-market conservative in Congress, said Friday he is confident that GOP presidential front-runner Mitt Romney would govern as a conservative, although Toomey also dismissed speculation that he could end up on the ticket as a vice presidential candidate.

Pennsylvania’s junior senator said he is remaining neutral in the Republican presidential race, although that hasn’t stopped him from handing Romney high praise on Toomey’s favorite policy subjects of taxes and free markets.

“I think Gov. Romney is absolutely committed to the principle of limited government and free enterprise,” Toomey said.

However, Toomey, who also served in the U.S. House from 1999 to 2005, said he isn’t spending time worrying about his name coming up in talk of Romney’s vice presidential pick.

“I think that’s so extremely unlikely that I don’t spend any time thinking about it.” Toomey said. “I’ve got a great, great job that’s very challenging, it’s fascinating, it’s exciting and it’s rewarding. ... I think there’s a whole lot more that I can accomplish, so I’m focused on being the very best senator I can be.”

Toomey wasn’t asked about Romney’s challengers — including former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich — and he didn’t bring them up with reporters after he delivered a 30-minute speech on the virtues of free-market capitalism to the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference, the state’s largest annual gathering of conservatives.