Burchett, Ogles eye Blackburn's Senate seat as she announces gubernatorial bid
Blackburn will face Rep. John Rose in the gubernatorial race
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Tennessee lawmakers are eyeing higher office, with Reps. Tim Burchett and Andy Ogles expressing interest in taking over Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s (R-Tenn.) seat following her announcement that she will run for governor on Wednesday.
Blackburn will face Rep. John Rose (R-Tenn.) in the race for the governor's mansion. Operatives note that she has an edge in name recognition but cautioned that Rose shouldn’t be counted out just yet.
If Blackburn — who just won reelection to her Senate seat— ultimately wins the race, there is a strong possibility she could hand-pick her successor.
“So technically, Marsha could not resign her Senate seat and be sworn in as governor at the same time. Yeah, and so like for two minutes, she would be both, right? Because there's a prohibition — you can't draw both salaries — but for a period of a couple of minutes, she could be both the senator and the governor. She could then resign her Senate seat and appoint her replacement,” Rep. Andy Ogles, who is eyeing the position, told 24Sight News.
Burchett, a conservative with a strong national media presence, confirmed his interest in the Senate seat on Wednesday.
“I would think Tim Burchett would be someone who is interested in it. And, quite frankly, to run for a Senate seat from Congress, I think he and I would probably have the advantage. Obviously, anyone can run, but if he and I are both interested in it — which we are — at some point, we’ll do some sort of steer-wrestling or shooting contest, of which I would win. But we’ll figure it out like gentlemen,” Ogles joked.
Blackburn announced her plans to run for governor on Wednesday, posting a video on X that touts her close ties with President Trump.
Rose — a four-term congressman who previously served as state agriculture commissioner and worked as an attorney — announced his gubernatorial bid in March.
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Three real Foghorn Leghorns right there