Senator Bob Corker speaks to reporters ahead of the weekly party luncheons on Capitol Hill. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein
Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) has announced that he will not be seeking re-election in 2018.
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Corker said in a statement, “After much thought, consideration and family discussion over the past year, Elizabeth and I have decided that I will leave the United States Senate when my term expires at the end of 2018. When I ran for the Senate in 2006, I told people that I couldn’t imagine serving for more than two terms. 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.”
At one time, Corker was considered for a top position in the Trump administration, but over the summer, the Senator questioned Trump’s behavior and mental fitness at a town hall.
Corker’s retirement has thrown Republicans for a loop. Both Mitch McConnell and Trump were urging him to run for reelection. It is difficult to imagine a Democrat winning in Tennessee, but without the powerful incumbent, the GOP will be left trying to hold onto an open Senate seat that they assumed was safely locked up.
Midterm elections have a history of being bad for the party of incumbent presidents, but 2018 is shaping up to a perfect storm of voter outrage, an unpopular president, and loathed party controlling Congress.
Bob Corker’s decision is the last thing that Republicans needed heading into 2018.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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