TN-08: Tanner to Retire; Herron Will Run

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Hotline on Call:

Rep. John Tanner (D-TN), a leading Blue Dog Dem, will retire at the end of his current term, Dem sources tell Hotline OnCall.

Tanner has begun informing key House Dems of his decision -- one that will make his seat a prime pickup opportunity for GOPers. He has served 11 terms in Congress representing northwest TN, a district based around Jackson, Clarksville and Union City. <...>

Tanner was almost certain to have a tough election. GOPers are thrilled with the prospects of Stephen Fincher (R), a farmer and gospel singer who raised more than $300K in his first several weeks campaigning. Though Tanner has nearly $1.4M in the bank, he may not have wanted to deal with what would have been his first tough race in years.

At a PVI of R+6, Tanner's 8th District isn't the toughest of Tennessee's Blue Dog bastions, but it will be a challenging hold nonetheless. Obama lost the district by a 43-56 margin in 2008, down from Kerry's 47-53 loss in 2004 and Al Gore's 51-48 edge at the start of the decade. For stats fans, that means that this district saw the 9th-worst district decline from Kerry to Obama, and the 12th-worst district drop from 2000 to 2008.

Presumably, Democrats will have a healthy bench down the ticket here, but it remains to be seen whether or not a candidate with solid campaign skills will take the plunge.

UPDATE: Here's one downballot name who represents part of this district: Democratic state Sen. Roy Herron. Herron is currently running for Governor in a crowded Democratic field, but perhaps he'd be interested in a switch. There are also quite a few more Democratic state Senators and Representatives whose districts overlap with the 8th CD.

http://www.swingstateproject.com/diary/5967/tn08-tanner-to-retire