Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn is considering a run for Senate, a spokeswoman for her office confirmed to CNN on Wednesday.
Republican Sen. Bob Corker’s announcement that he would not seek reelection has left a vacancy for the Republican congresswoman to run for a US Senate seat.
“Rep. Blackburn appreciates the outpouring of encouragement and support she has received about a possible Senate run,” Blackburn spokeswoman Darcy Anderson said Wednesday in a statement. “She ran for Congress to advance conservative values and fight for the people of Tennessee. Over the next week, she will take a look at the Senate race and decide how, and where, she believes she can best serve her state and her nation.”
Corker said he would retire from Congress on Tuesday and has become increasingly critical of President Donald Trump.
However, sources familiar with private conversations between Trump and Corker told CNN the President wanted Corker to run for reelection.
“Serving the people of Tennessee in this capacity has been the greatest privilege of my life. And as I spent the month of August traveling across our great state, I was reminded that we live in a unique place full of people who care deeply about the direction of our country,” Corker said in a statement Tuesday.
A number of other candidates are weighing a run to fill Corker’s seat, including Republican Gov. Bill Haslam and former Republican Rep. Stephen Fincher. Some have suggested that retired NFL star Peyton Manning may also seek the seat. Corker told CNN he has spoken with Manning and other potential candidates, but he said he doubted Manning would run this cycle.