NASHVILLE, Tenn. - State Rep. Craig Fitzhugh has announced he will run for re-election to his House seat this year rather than making a bid for governor.
The Ripley Democrat had publicly mulled a gubernatorial bid last year, but had backed off in recent months. But filing to run for re-election to the House would formally rule out an entry into the governor's race because candidates can't run for that office and the Legislature at the same time.
Fitzhugh is the current House minority leader and a former House finance chairman. He has been a vocal critic of Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's inaction on Medicaid expansion, arguing that the incumbent's attempts to hammer out a special deal have come at the expense of millions in federal money and health coverage for the poor.