GOP senators offer dueling endorsements on TN campaign trail

MT. JULIET, Tenn. (AP) — Republican Sens. Tom Cotton and Ted Cruz on Friday offered dueling endorsements of the two leading Republicans running for the U.S. Senate from Tennessee, Bill Hagerty and Manny Sethi.

The heated race has become increasingly more tense ever since early voting opened last week in Tennessee.

There’s been a notable spike in attack ads and doling out high-profile endorsements for a seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Lama Alexander, who previously announced he would retire at the end of his term.

Cotton joined Hagerty, while Cruz traveled with Sethi as Tennessee’s Aug. 6 primary election quickly approaches.