Former Gov. Phil Bredesen, the last Democrat to win a statewide race in Tennessee, is considering a bid to succeed retiring Republican Bob Corker in the U.S. Senate.
In a statement Monday to The Associated Press, Bredesen said he is mulling an entry into the race after several people urged him to reconsider his initial statements that he had no interest in running.
Bredesen, age 73, is a wealthy former Nashville mayor who was first elected governor in 2002.
He completed his second term in early 2011. Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn jumped into the race shortly after Gov. Bill Haslam announced he wouldn’t run. Former Rep. Stephen Fincher is also considering a Republican bid.
Several Democrats have expressed interest in running since Corker last month announced his decision to bow out, but Nashville attorney James Mackler is the only one who has been actively campaigning.
