NASHVILLE – U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., is throwing in the towel on efforts to re-enter the U.S. Senate contest after announcing last fall he would retire, according to his long-time chief of staff, Todd Womack.
Womack said the former Chattanooga mayor had “been encouraged by people across Tennessee” to reconsider the decision he made last fall not to seek a third term amid an ongoing public quarrel with President Trump which cost Corker politically.
Reactions to Corker’s announcement
“I want to thank Senator Corker for his dedicated service on behalf of Tennessee families. Now, we can unify the Republican party and focus on defeating Democrat Phil Bredesen in November. As we continue to take our campaign to every corner of the state, I’m looking forward to listening to Tennesseans families and sharing my ideas on how we can get the United States Senate back to work and pass President Trump’s agenda.”- Marsha Blackburn”Republicans raised concerns over Congresswoman Blackburn because they know she is out of touch with Tennessee. Their public display of anxiety has not only underscored her vulnerabilities but revealed a point of agreement between Democrats and Republicans: Congresswoman Blackburn is not fit to represent Tennessee in the U.S. Senate.”- DSCC spokesman David Bergstein
“Based on the outpouring of support, we spent the last few days doing our due diligence and a clear path for re-election was laid out,” Womack said in a statement. “However, at the end of the day, the senator believes he made the right decision in September and will be leaving the Senate when his term expires at the end of 2018.”
Corker’s move comes as several polls showed him losing to Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who entered the race after Corker announced he would not seek a third term.