By Josh Kraushaar and Jessica Taylor
Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.) announced Tuesday evening that he will retire at the end of his term, a move sure to spark speculation that other veteran House Democrats facing tough re-election campaigns may instead head for the exits.
Tanner becomes the second Blue Dog Democrat in two weeks to retire rather than face what could have been a contentious re-election in 2010. Last week, six-term Rep. Dennis Moore (D-Kan.) also announced his intention to retire against the backdrop of a hostile national political environment. Both districts are politically competitive and the National Republican Congressional Committee has already announced its intention to vigorously contest the seats, as well as the seats of several other veteran Democrats who have not faced serious election challenges in years.
Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.) announced Tuesday evening that he will retire at the end of his term, a move sure to spark speculation that other veteran House Democrats facing tough re-election campaigns may instead head for the exits.
Tanner becomes the second Blue Dog Democrat in two weeks to retire rather than face what could have been a contentious re-election in 2010. Last week, six-term Rep. Dennis Moore (D-Kan.) also announced his intention to retire against the backdrop of a hostile national political environment. Both districts are politically competitive and the National Republican Congressional Committee has already announced its intention to vigorously contest the seats, as well as the seats of several other veteran Democrats who have not faced serious election challenges in years.
An eleven-term congressman, Tanner said in a statement that he was considering retiring two years ago but decided to remain in Congress so he could serve as chairman to the U.S. delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
“Betty Ann and I had considered retiring in 2007 at the end of the 110th Congress, were it not for the fact that our nation had the chance to elect an American as President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly at this critical moment in the war in Afghanistan,” Tanner said in a statement. “However, we believed we owed it to our country to stay and fulfill this term of office as NATO PA President. This mandate expires in November 2010, and therefore, we have made the decision not to seek re-election to Congress.”
Tanner has never faced a tough re-election campaign since first capturing the seat in 1988 and was unopposed in 2008. But he was facing a strong challenger in farmer and gospel singer Stephen Fincher, who raised an eye-catching $308,000 in the third quarter—most of it from within the district—and out-raised Tanner, who pulled in just $62,000.
“Stephen Fincher’s impressive candidacy was already raising eyebrows from Frog Jump to Washington, and we’re confident he’ll have the privilege of representing Tennessee’s 8th District after he beats whichever sacrificial lamb Democrats offer up,” said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Andy Sere.
Tanner’s rural, western Tennessee district has favored Republican candidates at the presidential level, giving John McCain 56 percent of the vote last year, and supporting former President Bush with 53 percent in 2004. Recognizing the conservative terrain, Tanner emerged as a leader of the fiscally-conservative Blue Dog Democrats and sports a voting record to the right of most of his party colleagues.
While Fincher looks like the odds-on favorite to win the Republican nomination, the Democratic field is in flux. State Sen. Roy Herron, who is currently running for governor, has emerged as the most likely candidate to run in Tanner’s stead – with one source telling POLITICO he’s now considering dropping out from the governor’s race.
Herron is personally close to Tanner and has assisted him on past campaigns. Businessman Mike McWherter, son of popular former Democratic Gov. Ned McWherter, who served from 1987 until 1995, leads in polls for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.
The younger McWherter will likely become the undisputed frontrunner if Herron chooses to shoot for the House rather than the governor’s mansion. The Almanac of American Politics notes that Tanner is a cousin to McWherter, and the former governor wanted to appoint Tanner to the Senate when Al Gore became vice president in 1992, but Tanner instead chose to remain in the House.
Tanner’s retirement means that Democrats now are vacating five seats that offer Republicans prime pickup opportunities. Aside from Moore and Tanner, Reps. Charlie Melancon (D-La.), Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) and Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) are running for the Senate, leaving behind competitive open seats.
That number pales, however, next to the flood of Democratic retirements that plagued the party during the Republican wave election of 1994, when the GOP picked up 22 open seats on its way to retaking the House.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30094.html
“Betty Ann and I had considered retiring in 2007 at the end of the 110th Congress, were it not for the fact that our nation had the chance to elect an American as President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly at this critical moment in the war in Afghanistan,” Tanner said in a statement. “However, we believed we owed it to our country to stay and fulfill this term of office as NATO PA President. This mandate expires in November 2010, and therefore, we have made the decision not to seek re-election to Congress.”
Tanner has never faced a tough re-election campaign since first capturing the seat in 1988 and was unopposed in 2008. But he was facing a strong challenger in farmer and gospel singer Stephen Fincher, who raised an eye-catching $308,000 in the third quarter—most of it from within the district—and out-raised Tanner, who pulled in just $62,000.
“Stephen Fincher’s impressive candidacy was already raising eyebrows from Frog Jump to Washington, and we’re confident he’ll have the privilege of representing Tennessee’s 8th District after he beats whichever sacrificial lamb Democrats offer up,” said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Andy Sere.
Tanner’s rural, western Tennessee district has favored Republican candidates at the presidential level, giving John McCain 56 percent of the vote last year, and supporting former President Bush with 53 percent in 2004. Recognizing the conservative terrain, Tanner emerged as a leader of the fiscally-conservative Blue Dog Democrats and sports a voting record to the right of most of his party colleagues.
While Fincher looks like the odds-on favorite to win the Republican nomination, the Democratic field is in flux. State Sen. Roy Herron, who is currently running for governor, has emerged as the most likely candidate to run in Tanner’s stead – with one source telling POLITICO he’s now considering dropping out from the governor’s race.
Herron is personally close to Tanner and has assisted him on past campaigns. Businessman Mike McWherter, son of popular former Democratic Gov. Ned McWherter, who served from 1987 until 1995, leads in polls for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.
The younger McWherter will likely become the undisputed frontrunner if Herron chooses to shoot for the House rather than the governor’s mansion. The Almanac of American Politics notes that Tanner is a cousin to McWherter, and the former governor wanted to appoint Tanner to the Senate when Al Gore became vice president in 1992, but Tanner instead chose to remain in the House.
Tanner’s retirement means that Democrats now are vacating five seats that offer Republicans prime pickup opportunities. Aside from Moore and Tanner, Reps. Charlie Melancon (D-La.), Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) and Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) are running for the Senate, leaving behind competitive open seats.
That number pales, however, next to the flood of Democratic retirements that plagued the party during the Republican wave election of 1994, when the GOP picked up 22 open seats on its way to retaking the House.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30094.html