Corker Declares Victory Early; Faces Clayton In General Election

Just a short time after the polls closed Thursday, Senator Bob Corker of Chattanooga was already able to declare victory in the Republican primary.

He faces Democrat Mark Clayton in the general election.

The former Chattanooga mayor said, "I want to thank the thousands of Tennesseans who went to the polls in the last few weeks and cast a vote for my re-election to the United States Senate.Elizabeth and I deeply appreciate all the supporters who gave their time and hard work to ensure this victory tonight.Serving you and your family in the Senate is a great honor and a challenging responsibility.

I am focused on our country’s most urgent problems—getting our economy growing again and getting our government’s fiscal house in order.It’s time to come together around some common sense goals that we all share.

Tennesseans are worried about the economy, worried about finding and keeping quality jobs to support their families.  All of us want our federal tax policy to encourage job creation. We all know that the federal government’s debt burden is unsustainable and that Washington has to live within its means.All Tennesseans want to reform Social Security and Medicare so that the critical safety net will continue to be there in the future.Solving these tough problems on a tight budget requires us to work together.Fortunately, I believe there is growing support on both sides of the aisle for passing tax reforms that encourage job creation, for protecting the solvency of Social Security and Medicare and finally putting an end to deficit spending.

I’m optimistic that we can make real progress.

It will not be easy, but I promise you I will work hard every day to offer leadership on achieving these goals.

Again, my thanks for all that you have done to give me a chance to serve.”