Did Corker Announce He Was Not Running Again.

Sen. Bob Aspersion, R-Tenn., said in September that he would not seek re-election, but then he wavered. On Tuesday, he reconfirmed he would not run. Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images hide caption

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Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said in September that he would not seek re-election, merely then he wavered. On Tuesday, he reconfirmed he would non run.

Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images

Sen. Bob Aspersion, R-Tenn., volition non run for re-election this twelvemonth — for real, this fourth dimension.

Aspersion had been waffling in contempo weeks over his decision in September to retire and admitted he was because jumping dorsum into the race. Running would have prepare a bruising primary fight with Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn, the front-runner in the Republican primary, who announced her candidacy after Aspersion said he wasn't going to run.

Only on Tuesday, Corker'southward master of staff, Todd Womack, confirmed that the senator'due south initial conclusion will indeed stand and that he volition not seek a 3rd term:

"Over the past several months, Senator Corker has been encouraged by people across Tennessee and in the Senate to reconsider his decision not to seek re-election. 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. All the same, at the end of the day, the senator believes he made the right conclusion in September and volition be leaving the Senate when his term expires at the stop of 2018. When he ran for the Senate in 2006, he told Tennesseans that he couldn't imagine serving for more than two terms because he has always been drawn to the citizen legislator model and believes public service should be missional. This has been the greatest privilege of his life and he is forever grateful to the people of the Volunteer State for the opportunity to serve our land and country."

Reports surfaced earlier this month that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman was rethinking his choice to step bated. Corker spokeswoman Micah Johnson said in a statement two weeks agone that "people across Tennessee have reached out to Senator Corker with concerns well-nigh the issue of this election because they believe information technology could determine control of the Senate and the time to come of our agenda. The senator has been encouraged to reconsider his decision and is listening closely."

Some Republicans in the country who are close to Corker told NPR that there was some concern that if the more bourgeois Blackburn won the principal, the seat from the typically solid GOP state could exist in jeopardy. Democrats have recruited old Gov. Phil Bredesen to run; Bredesen earned a reputation equally a moderate during his ii terms from 2003 until 2011.

Aspersion'southward allies also asserted that when the senator fabricated his decision concluding autumn, it was in the rut of a feud with President Trump. While Corker had once been a vocal ally of the president, their relationship began to deteriorate and the senator began voicing concerns of Trump's approach to foreign policy and what he viewed every bit reckless tweets from the president, saying he was putting the land "on the path to World War 3." At one betoken, Corker chosen the White House "an adult mean solar day care heart."

Some Tennessee Republicans argued that Corker has since mended fences with Trump and that would assistance him if he did run again. They maintained that Corker would easily beat Bredesen, while Blackburn would put the critical seat — which could aid make up one's mind control of the Senate — in play.

However, Blackburn has been i of the nigh successful GOP Senate candidates so far in fundraising, catastrophe 2022 with near $5 million in her entrada coffers. In addition, Tennessee has moved far to the right since Bredesen was last on the election over a decade ago.

Some national Republicans were fretting that if Corker did decide to run once more, a difficult principal could hurt whomever the political party'southward nominee was come up November. And given how Corker's standing had fallen in the Volunteer State after his row with the president, he could have been an underdog confronting Blackburn, a Tea Political party darling.

Amidst reports that Aspersion was reconsidering his retirement, Blackburn'due south entrada made articulate she wasn't going anywhere even if the incumbent did decide to run again — and argued that efforts to button her out of the race reeked of misogyny.

"Anyone who thinks Marsha Blackburn tin't win a general election is just a plain sexist pig," Blackburn spokeswoman Andrea Bozek said in a statement on Feb. xiii. "She'south the best fundraiser in the country and is chirapsia Phil Bredesen in several polls. We aren't worried most these ego-driven, tired old men. Marsha has spent her whole life fighting people who told her she wasn't good enough, and she will do it again."

With Corker reconfirming he won't run again on Tuesday, Blackburn struck a more conciliatory tone.

"I desire to give thanks Senator Corker for his dedicated service on behalf of Tennessee families," Blackburn said in a statement. "Now, we tin can unify the Republican political party and focus on defeating Democrat Phil Bredesen in November."

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Source: https://www.npr.org/2018/02/27/589156299/sen-corker-really-isnt-running-for-re-election-seriously

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