Washington (CNN) - Sen. Jim DeMint, the South Carolina Republican and tea party favorite, said Thursday he was 'excited' about the possibility of Mitt Romney becoming the GOP presidential nominee.
While not an outright endorsement, it is the closest the Republican kingmaker has come to making his preference known in the race for the White House.
"I can tell conservatives from my perspective is that, I'm not only comfortable with Romney, I'm excited about the possibility of him possibly being our nominee," DeMint said. "Again, this is not a formal endorsement and I do not intend to do that right now but I just think we just need to look at where we are."
DeMint's comments came the same day Romney met with influential Republicans on Capitol Hill, including House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan. Like DeMint, Ryan has not publicly backed a candidate in the GOP race, but is considered a prized endorsement for the White House hopefuls.
DeMint said Thursday he was "impressed" after his meeting with Romney.
"His leadership skills, the fact that he hasn't lived his life in Washington. There's a lot to like there," DeMint said.
