WASHINGTON _ Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker announced Tuesday he will not seek re-election in 2018.
"When I ran for the Senate in 2006, I told people that I couldn't imagine serving for more than two terms," the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee said in a statement.
"Understandably, as we have gained influence, that decision has become more difficult. But I have always been drawn to the citizen legislator model, and while I realize it is not for everyone, I believe with the kind of service I provide, it is the right one for me," Corker continued.
"I also believe the most important public service I have to offer our country could well occur over the next 15 months, and I want to be able to do that as thoughtfully and independently as I did the first 10 years and nine months of my Senate career," Corker said.
The two-term lawmaker already had one declared primary challenger, with several more taking a look at the race.
But with an open seat, the primary field will likely grow. As a mostly single-party state, Tennessee has a history of crowded primaries. In 2006, Corker defeated two former congressmen to win the nomination for the open seat vacated by retiring Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Just last year, when a seat opened up in the 8th District, a whopping 13 Republicans competed.
All eyes are on 7th District Rep. Marsha Blackburn to run for Corker's seat. The ambitious eight-term lawmaker had been mentioned as a likely contender should Sen. Lamar Alexander not seek re-election in 2020. She ended the second quarter with $3.1 million.
Asked if she would consider running for Senate, Blackburn told reporters Tuesday afternoon, "I don't know. We'll see."
Multiple GOP operatives in Tennessee have suggested that former 8th District Rep. Stephen Fincher isn't done with politics and could be interested in running for Corker's seat, too. A strong advocate for the Export-Import Bank, he retired at the end of the last Congress after splitting with leadership over reauthorization of the bank. But he still has $2.3 million in his campaign account.
