Brad Staats (age 43) is the unsuccessful 2012 Republican candidate for Tennessee's 5th Congressional District. He ran on a "family matters" platform that stressed traditional values and Second Amendment rights. He drew national attention in Oct-2012 after posting a photo of his handgun to his Facebook page, alongside a message "welcoming" President Barack Obama to Tennessee. He lost to Democratic incumbent Rep. Jim Cooper by a margin of about 85,000 votes, or more than 30 percent of the total vote.