U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.NASHVILLE - Lamar Alexander's first ads of his re-election campaign feature fellow Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, a tea party favorite from neighboring Kentucky.
The Alexander campaign announced Friday it has bought $180,000 worth of ads to run over two weeks on broadcast and cable television and on the radio.
The ads highlight Alexander's successful effort to place a moratorium on an Army Corps of Engineers plan to erect barriers to prevent people from fishing below dams on the Cumberland River.
The spot includes video of Paul saying: "Nobody wants to say no to Lamar Alexander."
Alexander's campaign had $1.8 million on hand through the first quarter of the year. While some tea party groups have grumbled about a third term for Alexander, no Republican challenger has emerged so far.