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Bill Haslam won't run for US Senate in 2020, saying it's ‘not my calling’

Posted at 8:06 AM, Jul 11, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-11 19:46:09-04

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam says he won’t run for U.S. Senate in 2020.

After months of speculation, Haslam confirmed Thursday morning in a statement that he wouldn't run, saying it was the "hardest vocational decision" of his life.

"While I think serving in the United States Senate would be a great privilege and responsibility, I have come to the conclusion that it is not my calling for the next period of my life," he wrote.

Read the full letter below:

Sen. Lamar Alexander, who’s leaving office this term, released a statement, saying:

“Bill Haslam would be a terrific United States senator, but he has served Tennessee well and unselfishly for 15 years as governor and as mayor of Knoxville, and I can completely understand his desire to take a different direction with his life.”