He's Not Ours, Tenn. Democrats Say of Their Senate Candidate

Mark Clayton is being disavowed by the party that nominated him because of his affiliation with a socially conservative "hate group"

"Mark Clayton is associated with a known hate group in Washington, D.C., and the Tennessee Democratic Party disavows his candidacy, will not do anything to promote or support him in any way, and urges Democrats to write-in a candidate of their choice in November," the Tennessee Democratic Party said in a statement.

Clayton is vice president of Public Advocate USA, a conservative advocacy group based in Virginia. The group supported legislation in Tennessee to restrict teaching about homosexuality in elementary and middle schools, known as the "don't say gay" bill.