NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is endorsing Republican Randy Boyd for Tennessee governor.

In a statement released Friday by the Boyd campaign, Huckabee said he supports the business background of Boyd, who founded a pet products company in Knoxville and served as Tennessee's economic development chief under current Gov. Bill Haslam.

Huckabee, also a Republican, says Boyd "spent his life building a company from scratch, and like President Trump, he knows what it takes to disrupt government-as-usual."

The campaign says Huckabee is stating his support for Boyd in a TV ad that will being airing Friday.

Other Republicans running for governor are U.S. Rep. Diane Black, House Speaker Beth Harwell and businessman Bill Lee. The National Rifle Association announced Thursday it is endorsing Black.

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