Jack Crowe
\nThe Daily Caller<\/p>\n
Republican Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker announced Tuesday he will not seek reelection in 2018 after weeks of speculation regarding his political future.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter 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,\u201d the two-term lawmaker said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I ran for the Senate in 2006, I told people that I couldn\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
http:\/\/twitter.com\/ShanicaJohnson\/status\/912767024690077696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fdailycaller.com%2F2017%2F09%2F26%2Fgop-sen-bob-corker-will-not-run-again-in-2018%2F<\/p>\n
Corker, who chairs the influential Committee on Foreign Relations, has weighed retirement for months but remained\u00a0undecided<\/a>\u00a0about his future as recently as two weeks ago. He attributed his decision, in part, to a desire to concentrate on legislating in the remaining 15 months.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n Corker has established himself as a bipartisan dealmaker and outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, a stance that may have left him vulnerable to a primary challenger from the right.<\/p>\n The Tennessee Republican, who was considered by the Trump administration for Secretary of State, lashed out at Trump for his response to the racially charged violence that occurred in Charlottesville in August.<\/p>\n Trump has \u201cnot yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful,\u201d Corker\u00a0told<\/a>\u00a0reporters in Tennessee.<\/p>\n Trump responded a week later in a characteristically blunt tweet.<\/p>\n Strange statement by Bob Corker considering that he is constantly asking me whether or not he should run again in '18. Tennessee not happy!<\/p>\n — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n