NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Haslam says he will decide whether to run for an open U.S. Senate seat sometime after leaving office next month.
Haslam told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he's planning a short vacation with his wife after leaving office Jan. 19 to consider his decision. Haslam said he doesn't have a deadline but won't take six months.
When Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander announced Monday that he wouldn't run again in 2020, Haslam's name quickly topped the list of possible replacements.
In October 2017, Haslam opted against running to replace retiring GOP Sen. Bob Corker. The term-limited governor said that, this time, he primarily didn't want the distraction of spending his last year as governor running for Senate.
Haslam also stressed that governor and senator are very different jobs.
