NASHVILLE (AP) - Knoxville attorney Terry Adams is touting his status as a political outsider in his bid for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate.

Adams, who was a quartermaster in the Navy before going to college and law school, told reporters in Nashville on Friday that he wants to champion veterans issues and to keep what he calls a career politician from holding the seat for another six years.

Adams runs a seven-attorney law firm and owns a title company in Knoxville. He said he was motivated to run in part to avoid a repeat of the 2012 primary won by an anti-gay candidate Mark Clayton, who was quickly disavowed by the Democratic Party.

The incumbent is Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander, a former two-term governor.