Councilman Anderson won't challenge state Sen. Gardenhire for Tennessee General Assembly seat

Chattanooga City Council member Chris Anderson
Chattanooga City Council member Chris Anderson

Chattanooga City Councilman Chris Anderson says he will not challenge incumbent State Sen. Todd Gardenhire for his seat in the Tennessee General Assembly.

Anderson, whose district includes St. Elmo, Alton Park, East Lake and the east side of downtown Chattanooga, made the announcement in an email to supporters.

photo Rep. Todd Gardenhire talks about his immigration legislation during the Times Free Press sponsored Legislative Roundtable on Jan. 06, 2015

"There has been a lot of recent speculation about my next steps in government and politics," Anderson wrote. "We have a state senator from Chattanooga who shows no regard for our citizens or their concerns. It is my sincere hope and belief that a strong progressive candidate will replace him in the next election, restoring dignity and compassion to that seat. However, that candidate will not be me."

Anderson said he instead will run for re-election to the city council, although in an interview Monday, he did not rule out a campaign for another office sometime in the future.

"I'm 35 years old, and there are going to be a lot of opportunities to serve in various capacities in my career," he said. "Right now, it's the city council, but that doesn't mean it always will be."

Anderson, a Democrat, said he did not think he could be as effective as a state senator as he can be in the city council, given the Republican majority in the legislature.

"I've sponsored 17 pieces of legislation in the city council, and all but one of those measures have become law," Anderson said. "I don't think I would have that success in the State Senate."

Gardenhire represents Senate District 10, which includes most of Chattanooga and southern Hamilton County plus much of Bradley County except for Cleveland.

He responded to Anderson's criticism by noting that he had been involved with oversight of Erlanger hospital and improving education, including helping Latino children attend college and special-needs children afford K-12 schools of their choice.

"We never heard a word from him on these issues. Sadly, Mr. Anderson has not looked at the facts before he goes into attack mode," Gardenhire said.

Contact staff writer Steve Johnson at sjohnson@timesfreepress.com, 423-757-6673, on Twitter @stevejohnsonTFP, and on Facebook at stevejohnsonTFP.

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