NASHVILLE - Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty hauled in more than $1.5 million for his effort during the last three months of 2019, according to his campaign.
That left the Tennessee businessman and former U.S. ambassador to Japan with more than $3 million in his campaign war chest as of Dec. 31. Hagerty's total fundraising since jump-starting his campaign in September is $3.4 million.
"Team Hagerty is building momentum every single day, and we are so grateful for this outpouring of support," Hagerty said in a statement. "These resources are critical as we work to share my conservative message with Tennesseans across the state. Together, we will bring Tennessee's Christian, conservative values to the Senate and defeat Chuck Schumer's hand-picked liberal candidate."
Hagerty faces Nashville trauma surgeon Manny Sethi in Republicans' Aug. 6 primary. The Federal Election Commission's deadline for candidates' fourth quarter filings, which cover the period from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, is Jan. 31.
As of Sept. 30, Sethi reported raising $2.4 million, with $1.52 million of that coming from personal loans the candidate made to his campaign, FEC filings show. After spending nearly $360,000, Sethi had a cash balance of $2.04 million.
Hagerty campaign finance chairman Steve Smith said the candidate "is running a strong grassroots campaign that is quickly garnering support all across the state.
"Bill is the only candidate ready to work with President Trump on day one, and Tennesseans are excited that their senator will be able to work so closely with the president on their behalf," Smith added. "Team Hagerty is strongly positioned to defeat Chuck Schumer's radically liberal candidate in November, and we are not going to let our foot off the gas."
Hagerty formally announced his bid in September, some two months after his former boss, President Donald Trump, tweeted the then-ambassador was running and offered his "complete and total" endorsement. The president's son, Donald Trump Jr., is headed into Tennessee for Hagerty on Tuesday.
A late November, early December poll conducted by Vanderbilt University showed Hagerty had much higher name recognition among voters than Sethi.
Other GOP primary candidates include George Flinn Jr., a multimillionaire businessman and physician who has spent freely in a number of previously unsuccessful campaigns, including a 2014 GOP Senate primary challenge to now-retiring Sen. Lamar Alexander.
Other hopefuls in the 2020 GOP primary also include Byron Bush, a Brentwood dentist who ran unsuccessfully in a 1994 Senate GOP primary for the seat now held by Republican Sen. Marsh Blackburn.
On the Democratic side, Nashville attorney and Iraq War veteran James Mackler, who bowed out of the 2018 Senate Democratic primary to make way for former Gov. Phil Bredesen's unsuccessful race with Republican Marsha Blackburn, has already picked up the endorsement of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee.
Other Democrats announcing or saying they intend to run include Marquita Bradshaw, Tharon Chandler, Gary Davis and Diana Onyejiaka.
The general election is Nov. 3.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow on Twitter @AndySher1.