It’s official: Sen. Lamar Alexander's political career isn't over yet:
Republican Lamar Alexander became the latest U.S. senator to fend off a tea party challenge in a primary race Thursday, defeating a state senator who had used a familiar tactic in trying to cast him as an out of touch insider.
Alexander's win dealt another blow to national tea party momentum after the stunning primary win over Republican Rep. Eric Cantor in Virginia in June.
It wasn’t even close (via The Hill):
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) easily survived his Tea Party challenge on Thursday, dealing a final blow to conservative insurgents who hoped to oust a Senate incumbent this cycle.
With 19 percent reporting, the Associated Press called the race for Alexander with 52 percent of the vote. His main challenger, state Rep. Joe Carr, took 38 percent. Radiologist George Flinn took 6 percent, with the remainder of the vote split between several other candidates.
Of course, it’s incredibly difficult to unseat incumbents (especially incumbents who run solid campaigns and have been in public life for forty years). Those hoping for a David Brat-esque upset tonight will find themselves sorely disappointed.
Alexander is the sixth Senate Republican to survive a serious primary challenge this election cycle.