Scalise throws support behind Black, Blackburn ahead of Tennessee primary

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) is working to help his colleagues in the House, Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Diane Black (R-Tenn.), get elected to higher offices ahead of their state’s primary.

The Louisiana Republican participated on Friday in a fundraiser for Black, who is running for governor of Tennessee, before headlining the Republican Party’s Statesmen’s Dinner in Nashville.

Earlier in the day, Scalise publicly endorsed Blackburn, who is eyeing a Senate seat, at an event held by the Faith and Freedom Coalition in Washington, D.C.{mosads}

“If you look at where we are right now in changing the direction of our country, my dear friend Marsha Blackburn just spoke, and boy won’t she make a great senator from the great state of Tennessee,” Scalise said, touting her time chairing the panel investigating Planned Parenthood.

Scalise, who is still recovering from the near-fatal injuries he endured last June after being shot at a congressional baseball practice, hasn’t let the physical challenges of his recovery stop him from hitting the campaign trail ahead of what is teeing up to be a challenging midterm election cycle for Republicans.

Scalise’s political director Tyler Daniel highlighted the Louisiana Republican’s recent fundraising numbers. Scalise brought in $3 million in the first quarter — having transferred $1 million to the National Republican Congressional Committee.

“With [House Minority Leader] Nancy Pelosi [D-Calif.] vowing Democrats will raise taxes on American families and restore big-government regulations, Whip Scalise knows we can’t take the economic growth we’ve been seeing for granted which is why he’s been committed to traveling across the country on behalf of our Republican House candidates to ensure we keep our majority and prevent the disaster of a Nancy Pelosi speakership,” Daniel told The Hill in a statement. 

“He’s raised a record amount for any whip during the first quarter this year, and intends to keep up an aggressive pace as we head towards November.”

Polls currently show Blackburn in a tight race against Democratic former Gov. Phil Bredesen. The latest survey put out by Vanderbilt University shows Black with a slight edge over her primary opponents in terms of favorability.

The Tennessee primary is set to take place on Aug. 2.