Alexander to Seek Tenn. Senate Seat
NASHVILLE — Former Gov. Lamar Alexander, the two-time presidential candidate who campaigned in a flannel shirt, announced Monday he will run for the Senate seat that fellow Republican Fred Thompson is giving up this year.
“This is an unexpected course of action for me,†Alexander said. “I’ve been happy as a private citizen, represented by the country’s two best senators. I regret Fred’s decision, but I respect it.â€
Thompson, who was first elected in 1994 to succeed Democrat Al Gore, announced last week that he is retiring. Since then, several possible candidates in both parties have emerged.
The outcome of the race could help tip power to the GOP. Democrats hold a one-vote majority in the Senate.
Alexander, 61, who was Education secretary under the elder President Bush and Tennessee’s governor from 1979 to 1987, twice sought the GOP nomination for president. He dropped out of the 2000 race after finishing sixth in the Iowa straw poll, conceding he could not defeat then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush.
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