Andy Ogles Campaign Hires Trump Media Advisor for Primary Challenge to Bob Corker

On Monday, the Andy Ogles for U.S. Senate campaign announced that it has hired Innovative Politics, which “played a key role” in the Donald J. Trump for President campaign advertising team following the Republican National Convention in the 2016 general election campaign.

The firm is “a nationally renowned political consulting and full-service advertising agency,” according to a statement released by the campaign, and has been hired “to run [the campaign’s] media strategy and voter contact operations.”

Innovative Politics produced nearly 30 television ads for the campaign, which spent more than $75 million dollars on television advertising. Jay Connaughton, chief media advisor with Innovative Politics, played a key role in Trump’s heavily covered Baton Rouge, Louisiana, trip following the devastating floods in the state, as well as in the President-elect’s headline making visit to Flint, MI.

The Presidential race was only one of the many significant achievements for Innovative Politics during the past few national election cycles. The firm’s impressive national work, particularly in battleground states, helped the Republican Party maintain control of the U.S. Senate with victories in the critical U.S. Senate elections in North Carolina, Louisiana, Colorado, Iowa, Arkansas, Pennsylvania and Florida.

Connaughton praised Ogles in the statement.

“Andy is a true leader and conservative that Tennesseans can count on to drain the swamp. We’re very excited and ready to get to work to help Andy win the primary, and ultimately go to Washington, and fight for the values that Tennessee families believe in,” he said.

Ogles was equally complimentary of Connaughton and the Innovative Politics team.

“Innovative has a long and successful track record of helping conservatives win and holding traditional politicians accountable. No one is going to outwork our campaign. The winning team that we’re building should give pause to anyone thinking there will be an easy path to victory, especially if your views are not in line with the conservative values of our great state,” Ogles said in the statement.

Five days after Ogles announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), he remains the only Republican who has announced his candidacy for the seat.

The incumbent, Bob Corker, has recently indicated he has not decided whether he will seek re-election to a third term. Though he has promised to announce his intentions “soon,” more than a week has passed since he first publicly stated he was unsure he would run again.

Three other potential challengers to Corker for the Republican nomination–Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), State Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville), and former State Rep. Joe Carr (R-Lascassas) have been mentioned as considering entering the race. No announcements, however, have yet to be made by any of these three.