Meet Pat Toomey: The Senate's Candy Man

— -- There’s one man on Capitol Hill with the responsibility of satisfying the Senate’s sweet tooth – Sen. Pat Toomey.

The Republican Pennsylvania senator has assumed the role of the Senate candy man, maintaining a special candy desk in the Senate chamber for senators from both sides of the aisle to enjoy a sweet treat at from time to time.

“Pennsylvania, as everyone knows, is the candy capital of America. It was totally appropriate that I be the candy man,” Toomey told ABC News.

The Senate candy man bears the responsibility of keeping the desk, which is located next to the most trafficked entrance to the Senate chamber, stocked with sweet treats throughout the year. The candies come from the senator’s home state and are donated by candy companies. Toomey, whose state is home to more than 200 confectionary companies, will fill the desk with Pennsylvania-made candies, such as Mars products Three Musketeers and Milky Way, and Hershey's product Twizzlers.

The candy desk tradition dates back to 1965 when Sen. George Murphy, R-California, stashed a candy supply in his desk for fellow senators to snag, and for the past 50 years, each Republican senator to occupy that seat has done the same.

“It started with a guy who had a sweet tooth and he wanted to make sure that he always had a supply and then he discovered very quickly that his desk became a popular place to stop and mingle,” Toomey said.

Aside from Toomey, 16 other senators have taken on the task of candy man, including Sens. John McCain, R-Arizona, Rick Santorum, R-Pennsylvania, and Slade Gorton, R-Washington, who held the duty twice. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Illinois, was the last occupant of the desk beginning in 2011.

Toomey admitted to having a sweet tooth himself, but there’s one particular candy he likes to keep well stocked in his office.

“I will tell you the 3 Musketeers bar has long been my favorite candy,” Toomey said. “But I seldom turn down a candy of any kind.”