Hagerty nets US Chamber of Commerce endorsement in Tennessee’s GOP Senate race – Tennessean

Hagerty nets US Chamber of Commerce endorsement in Tennessee’s GOP Senate race  Tennessean

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty has been endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Hagerty, who previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, is one of 12 Republicans seeking the party’s nomination. 

The chamber’s endorsement of Hagerty is hardly surprising, given Hagerty’s history. He served as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development under former Gov. Bill Haslam.

Announcing the endorsement, chamber CEO Thomas Donohue praised Hagerty as someone has a “proven track record of leading responsibly” and supporting good policies. 

“The U.S. Chamber is proud to endorse Ambassador Hagerty and looks forward to partnering with him in the future,” Donohue said.

Hagerty’s latest endorsement comes as he looks to shore up support for his party’s nomination. His top-tier GOP opponents include Nashville trauma surgeon Manny Sethi and Memphis millionaire George Flinn.

Hagerty has been endorsed by President Donald Trump while Sethi recently received backing from U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky.

James Mackler, Marquita Bradshaw, Gary Davis, Robin Kimbrough and Mark Pickrell are seeking to be the Democratic Party’s nominee. 

The various candidates are looking to succeed U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, who opted against seeking a fourth term.

The Republican and Democratic primaries for the race is on Aug. 6.

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Reach Joel Ebert at jebert@tennessean.com or 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29.

Published 11:51 AM EDT Jun 22, 2020