NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Former Gov. Phil Bredesen, the last Democrat to win a statewide race in Tennessee, is considering a bid to succeed retiring Republican Bob Corker in the U.S. Senate.
In a statement Monday to The Associated Press, Bredesen said he is mulling an entry into the race after several people urged him to reconsider his initial statements that he had no interest in running.
“In the days ahead, I’m going to do some research, talk with people and carefully think this through,” he said. “I’ll make a decision quickly.”
Bredesen, 73, is a wealthy former Nashville mayor who was first elected governor in 2002. He had largely withdrawn from politics and public life since completing his second term in early 2011.
Bredesen acknowledged that it would take a vast amount of money to wage a successful bid.