Former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen announced Thursday that he will be a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate.
He said in a video posted on his campaign website, "I have the right kind of experience and the actual track record that it will take to start working across party lines to fix the mess in Washington and bring common sense back to our government."
He will be vying for the seat now held by former Chattanooga mayor Bob Corker, who is not running again.
Andy Berke, the current Chattanooga mayor, earlier put out some feelers about running for the Senate seat on the Democratic side.
Scott Golden, chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party, said, “Former Governor Phil Bredesen’s record represents the Tennessee of yesterday when Democrats labeled extreme unemployment rates, higher taxes, and a total lack of government transparency as ‘prospering.' A lot has changed in the last 16 years, since the first time he ran for statewide office.
“Since Governor Bredesen left office and our state with a 10.4 percent unemployment rate, Tennesseans have seen their state and their lives improve. Whether it has been by cutting taxes, supporting fiscal responsibility, or driving unemployment to historic lows, Republican elected officials in Tennessee have established a record of making our state, and our country, a better place to live, work, and achieve the American dream. Next year’s U.S. Senate election will be about comparing the Tennessee of today, to the Tennessee of yesterday, and the records and results are clear.
“As the primary process gets underway for both parties, we look forward to contrasting our fresh, bold Republican vision for the future with the Democrats’ retread message of the job killing policies of Pelosi and Schumer."