Romney stayed neutral while several Republican leaders, such as former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, endorsed third-party conservative candidate Doug Hoffman in New York’s 23rd Congressional District race over moderate Republican Party candidate Dede Scozzafava.

Although some in the party believe that it should be tilting right in whom to support in future elections, he said, “I will be by and large supporting conservative Republicans” but would not rule out backing some moderates, referencing former President Reagan.

“He was the one who coined the term ‘the big tent.’ He also said that you don’t build something by subtraction. So we welcome people who agree with us on most issues. Some will be very conservative on some issues. Some will be less so on others. We welcome you into the party.”