Two Tennessee Republican U.S. Senate hopefuls picked up competing endorsements from a pair of Chattanoogans on Wednesday, with former Congressman Zach Wamp announcing his support of Nashville physician Manny Sethi while current Congressman Chuck Fleischmann declared his backing of former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty.
Wamp called trauma surgeon Sethi “the true conservative in the race,” adding that Sethi “will stand for fiscal responsibility when so many others have buckled. He is authentic, and he will represent the people of Tennessee, not the establishment, in every decision he makes.”
Wamp’s endorsement came as he appeared with Sethi during the formal opening of the candidate’s Chattanooga office as the Republican Senate primary heats up among Sethi, Hagerty and George Flinn, a Memphis physician and businessman.
The three each are hoping to become their party’s nominee to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.
Fleischmann, meanwhile, is backing Hagerty, calling him “a trustworthy conservative businessman, just like President [Donald] Trump, who has my complete support to be Tennessee’s next U.S. Senator.”