2018 United States Senate election in Tennessee
The 2018 United States Senate election in Tennessee took place on November 6, 2018, concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican Senator Bob Corker opted to retire instead of running for a third term. Republican U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn won the open seat, defeating former Democratic Governor Phil Bredesen. Republican primary. Speculation surrounding Senator Corker. On September 26, 2017, Republican Senator Bob Corker announced that he would not seek reelection in 2018. Without Corker running , it was widely believed that the Republican Party would have a much harder time keeping the seat. Many called on Corker to reverse his decision to retire. Former U.S. Representative Fincher dropped out of the race, calling on Corker to jump back in and challenge U.S. Representative Blackburn for the GOP nomination. Fincher said in a statement that the GOP should unite "behind a candidate who can win" the general election. Blackburn said she would remain in the race even if Corker reversed his decision. Amid the speculation about Corker's decision, many of Tennessee's Republican politicians, including many  in the Tennessee General Assembly, reiterated their support for Blackburn. Corker's chief of staff announced on February 27, 2018, that Corker would stick with his plan to retire. General election. The election was expected to be among the most competitive Senate races in 2018. Corker's retirement and Bredesen's entry into the race made it one of the few potential offensive opportunities for Democrats. On November 1, 2018, incumbent Bob Corker announced that he would not endorse either Blackburn or Bredesen; he added that either candidate would be a good senator for Tennessee. Polls showed the race to  be close until the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in September and October, which many Tennesseans believed the Democratic Party handled poorly. This is believed to have mobilized Republican voters and cost Bredesen any chance of winning. Bredesen also announced his support for Kavanaugh, which some believe may have cost him supporters. Results. On November 6, 2018, Blackburn defeated Bredesen in the general election, carrying all but three counties, the largest number of counties ever won in an open senate election in Tennessee. Although polls began to show the race in Blackburn's favor following the Kavanaugh  hearings, Blackburn won by a larger margin than all but one poll showed.