Hagerty wins U.S. Senate race in Tennessee

Former Ambassador Bill Hagerty has won the U.S. Senate race in Tennessee, according to The Associated Press.

BREAKING: Republican Bill Hagerty wins election to U.S. Senate from Tennessee. #APracecall at 7:00 p.m. CST. #Election2020 #TNelection https://t.co/lGfinjTqT4

— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 4, 2020

Hagerty will succeed U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Maryville) who is retiring after three terms.

“Congratulations to Bill Hagerty on tonight’s impressive victory. I have been proud to support Bill to occupy the Senate seat that Howard Baker, Al Gore, Fred Thompson and I all have held,” Alexander said in a statement. “He will be a terrific United States Senator for all Tennesseans.”

Hagerty faced Democrat Marquita Bradshaw, a Memphis environmental activist, in the general election.

Most of the action in the Senate contest came during the Republican primary, in which Hagerty prevailed over Vanderbilt surgeon Manny Sethi by 11 points after a spirited campaign featuring heavy outside spending.