NASHVILLE – In a move that shakes up Tennessee’s 2018 GOP primary race for governor, President Donald Trump announced Thursday he intends to nominate state Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Collierville, to fill one of two U.S. District Court vacancies in West Tennessee.
Norris had been gearing up for an expected race for governor until mid-spring when the Trump administration began seriously considering him for the vacancy and later began vetting him.
He never officially announced he was running for governor and in recent months had stopped visible activity related to the contest. In the multi-candidate GOP field, he would have been the lone gubernatorial hopeful with a political power base in West Tennessee.
The state senator said in a statement he was honored by the nomination and appreciates the president’s confidence in him.
“This is just the first step under the Constitution, and I look forward to the [U.S.] Senate confirmation process,” he said.