Tom Cotton on Principles & Values

Served in military, academia, and as management consultant

The resumes of Sasse (R, NE) and Cotton (D, AR) do not exactly fit the profile of populists. That is especially true for the lines dedicated to the Boston Consulting Group and McKinsey & Company, firms that advise corporations on strategy, efficiency and ways to increase profitability.

Most of Cotton's adult life has been in academia and the military, and he has spent a year in Congress. His time at McKinsey was also barely more than a year, during which time his group leader immersed him in the intricacies--and the value--of the Affordable Care Act.

Fastest male in Congress; has finished 11 marathons

Unfortunately for Cotton, his other big race--the heated Arkansas Senate campaign against Sen. Mark Pryor--has taken a toll on the congressman's workout regime. "I do have to work harder to get my runs in each morning," Cotton said. Proceeds from the event went to the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, which helps provide guide dogs to wounded veterans.

The congressman took up running as part of his Army training in 2005, and discovered he enjoyed the sport. Cotton has since run 11 marathons. If Cotton beats Pryor and runs the race as a senator in 2015, he has a better chance of breaking a record. The Senate record belongs to former Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), who ran the 1981 Capital Challenge in 18:15.

Endorsed Member of the Tea Party movement.

The Tea Party movement is a populist conservative social movement in the United States that emerged in 2009 through a series of locally and nationally coordinated protests. The protests were partially in response to several Federal laws: the stimulus package; te healthcare bill; and the TARP bailouts. The name "Tea Party" refers to the Boston Tea Party of 1773, the source of the phrase, "No Taxation Without Representation."