NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Few people in Tennessee thought Bob Corker wouldn’t run for a third term next year.
That’s in part because he was sitting on the largest sum of campaign money among Republicans facing re-election to the Senate next year. His surprise announcement Tuesday that he will retire from Congress set off a frenzy of speculation about who will try to succeed him.
Attention quickly turned to Republican Gov. Bill Haslam, a close family friend of Corker’s. Haslam can’t run for governor again next year because of term limits.
Haslam’s spokeswoman praised Corker’s service, but didn’t respond to questions about Haslam’s future plans. Tom Ingram, a campaign strategist for both Corker and Haslam, said he expects the governor to give a Senate bid some serious consideration.