Former Republican U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey, of Zionsville, got the backing of former Alaska Gov. and 2008 Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin in his bid for the U.S. Senate Wednesday.

Palin urged voters in “rust belt” and energy producing states to get behind Toomey and several other conservative candidates who oppose a cap-and-trade carbon emissions bill (or "cap-and-tax" in Palin parlance) at the polls November 2.

"Senate races in particular have national significance when it comes to legislation like cap-and-tax,” Palin wrote on her Facebook page. “Our Senate is the most prestigious deliberative body in the world. One vote there has consequences extending far beyond that chamber.”

The Democrat in the race, U.S. Rep. Joseph Sestak, D-7, of Edgmont, is meanwhile surging in recent polls. Toomey held a distinct advantage in polls over the summer, sometimes by double digits, but two internal Democratic polls last week indicated the race was closing.

A Public Policy Polling survey released Tuesday showed Sestak pulling ahead of Toomey by one point with 9 percent undecided and a Morning Call/Muhlenberg College Tracker poll released Wednesday indicated Sestak is leading 44 percent to 41 percent with 15 percent undecided.