Sen.-elect Pat Toomey said Sunday that he would consider joining a tea party caucus when he comes to Washington.

“I’d want to hear what that’s going to be all about, what that means, but I’d be open to that,” the Pennsylvania Republican said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) formed a Tea Party Caucus in the House this year, and Sen.-elect Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has proposed creating one in the Senate.

Toomey said he received a lot of support from the tea party movement during his campaign against Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak.

“I met with lots of folks who were active participants and others who were sympathetic to the tea party,” he said. “In my experience, they are ordinary Americans, mostly working-class and middle-class Americans, who love this country; they’re very worried about its future, in particular they’re worried about the mountain of debt that’s being piled on their kids’ backs. … I welcome their support, and I think they can play a very constructive role in keeping the Republican Party committed to the principles that we advocate.”

Toomey, a former three-term Congressman, said he hoped the wave of Republican candidates voted into office during Tuesday’s midterm elections will usher in “a new spirit among Republicans in Congress” dedicated to battling the deficit and restoring fiscal responsibility.