Joe Carr in 2014 TN Senate debate

On Immigration: AdWatch: Border crisis was created by giving amnesty to 11M

The Tea Party Patriots endorsement praised Carr as a "genuine leader" in the fight against illegal immigration, criticizing Alexander for being one of the 14 Republicans to vote for the reform bill that passed the Senate last year.

Carr's radio ad hits Alexander on his support for the immigration measure, charging that the senator "voted with Democrats to pass a bill creating a border crisis by giving amnesty to 11 million illegal aliens."

On Principles & Values: Endorsed by Tea Party Patriots on anti-amnesty grounds

The issue at the center of both the Tea Party Patriots' endorsement and Carr's new ad is Alexander's alleged support for "amnesty" for illegal immigrants, a charge Carr has made central to his campaign.

The Tea Party Patriots endorsement praised Carr as a "genuine leader" in the fight against illegal immigration, criticizing Alexander for being one of the 14 Republicans to vote for the reform bill that passed the Senate last year.

"Joe wants to preserve American sovereignty; Lamar Alexander's policies are producing a human wave of criminality and disease on the Rio Grande," the group's chairwoman said. Carr's radio ad also hits Alexander on his support for the immigration measure, charging that the senator "voted with Democrats to pass a bill creating a border crisis by giving amnesty to 11 million illegal aliens."

On Government Reform: Reduce crossover voting in Tennessee primary elections

Carr is running in the August GOP primary against Sen. Lamar Alexander. But Carr has maintained all along his bill has nothing to do with that. The bill was opposed by the Tennessee Republican Party Chairman among others. In the end, fellow Republicans on the GOP-controlled Local Government Committee refused to go along with Carr's bill.

In response to questions posed earlier by Rep. Vince Dean, Carr said those refusing to sign the declaration would not be allowed to vote in that primary. Dean questioned whether the bill would really accomplish anything, noting "they could still be honest, so this wouldn't help.

On Gun Control: 30,000 people respond to raffling off a Beretta 92A1

"I knew that giving away a Beretta 92A1 would be popular, but I didn't anticipate it would be this popular. As a lifetime member of the NRA and Gun Owners of America, I have always promoted, protected, and defended every law-abiding American's ability to keep and bear arms for personal safety, to defend their property, and to enjoy hunting and sporting," Representative Carr said. "We're locked in a struggle with Obama, Reid, Pelosi, and the rest of the liberal elites in Washington for our 2nd Amendment rights. That's why I decided to take the fight to them by introducing legislation in Tennessee to nullify any of Obama's unconstitutional gun grabbing laws."

On Technology: Cell phone ban should be addressed by airlines, not feds

Ever since the beginning of the Device Era, we've been forced to turn off our phones and tablets on airplanes. If you asked most people why this was necessary, they'd tell you smartly that the signal from your phone or device could interfere with the plane's instrument. They were wrong, said the FAA and now the FCC.

We asked Carr's campaign where the challenger stood on the issue. They sent over this statement from Carr: "I, like most everyone I know, do not want to sit on a flight next to someone talking on cell phone. But before we pass new regulations, I think we should wait and see if the airlines can solve this issue on their own. If they can't solve the problem, the government can step in."