Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty rode the endorsement of President Donald Trump to victory Thursday in a contested Republican primary for an open U.S. Senate seat in Tennessee.
The Nashville businessman emerged from a tough challenge from trauma surgeon Manny Sethi to clinch his partys nomination for the seat of retiring Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander.
Last July, Trump let Tennessee voters know he would back Hagerty for the seat, months before Hagerty declared himself a candidate.
Hagerty spent more than $9.6 million on the race through mid-July, compared to the $4.2 million spent by Sethi.
Republicans are heavily favored to keep the seat, considering the GOP has held both Tennessee Senate seats since 1994.