Black backs Blackburn (Update: Boyd balks)

Press release from Diane Black campaign

Nashville, Tenn. – Today, Diane Black released the following statement endorsing Marsha Blackburn for Tennessee’s open U.S. Senate seat:

“I’ve served alongside Marsha in the state legislature and in Congress and have always known her to be a fighter and a passionate champion for conservative causes and I support her 100%,” said Diane Black. “We need Marsha Blackburn in the U.S. Senate to protect our majority, support President Trump’s agenda, and make sure that we can confirm new conservative Supreme Court justices to the bench. It’s time for Republicans in Tennessee to unite and stand with conservative Marsha Blackburn against liberal Phil Bredesen. I hope Randy Boyd, Bill Lee, Beth Harwell, and our Senators will join me and show that our party is proud to have a strong conservative in the race for U.S. Senate.” 

Diane is the first gubernatorial candidate and the first member of Tennessee’s congressional delegation to endorse Marsha Blackburn for U.S. Senate.

UPDATE/Note: Tennessee Star has a comment from Boyd, made during an interview with WWNS radio in Jackson, and from a Lee spokesman:

Host Dan Reaves asked Boyd for his thoughts about Congresswoman Diane Black (who is also running for Governor) endorsing Marsha Blackburn in her Senate primary earlier this week.

“I’m not really thinking too much about what Diane Black is or isn’t doing,” Boyd said. “I think Marsha’s been a great Congresslady and I think she’ll be a great Senator. But I’ve got my own race to run so I’m not running around endorsing candidates in primaries.”

Boyd pointed out that “she has a primary opponent right there in Jackson and I don’t think it’s really necessary for me to get involved in endorsing people in primaries anywhere.”

… On Wednesday, Chris Walker, an advisor to the Bill Lee campaign, provided The Tennessee Star with this statement:

Bill has been a strong financial and personal supporter of Marsha since 2002, and he is proud of her conservative record in Congress as the representative for his home district. He is confident she will continue to be a conservative leader in the Senate and he will continue to support her.