Tipper Gore Won’t Seek Tennessee’s Senate Seat

Tipper Gore said Sunday she has decided not to run for her husband’s old Senate seat from Tennessee this year.

“It would be such an honor to work for the people of Tennessee,” Gore said in a statement. “However, I have decided that it is not right for me, right now, to seek to represent them in the United States Senate.”

Gore, wife of former Vice President Al Gore, made the decision after spending the weekend discussing the Senate race with associates, spokesman Jano Cabrera said. She had cut short a trip to California to return to Tennessee on Saturday to consider the race.

Word emerged Thursday that Gore was considering running. Democratic sources said she had to make a decision quickly because Rep. Bob Clement (D-Tenn.) had expressed interest in running for the Senate seat, which is being vacated by Republican Fred Thompson.

Clement announced Friday that he would hold a news conference today regarding the race. Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Bill Farmer said he expected Clement to announce his candidacy.

Al Gore held the seat from 1985 to 1993. When he was elected vice president as Bill Clinton’s running mate, Democrat Harlan Mathews was appointed temporarily to replace him. In 1994, Thompson defeated Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper to replace Mathews.

The Senate seat opened up when Thompson announced two weeks ago that he would not seek reelection. The surprise decision turned what had been considered a safe Republican seat into one expected to be among the most highly contested this fall.

The filing deadline for the Senate race is April 4.

On the Republican side, former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander and Rep. Ed Bryant have announced their candidacies.

Tipper Gore is known for her advocacy on mental health issues. She became interested partly because her mother suffered from severe depression. She also has acknowledged being treated for depression after her son Albert III was hit by a car in 1989 and almost died at age 6.

“I am passionate about mental health and family issues and my work in those areas will continue to be my focus,” she said in her statement Sunday. “I will also work to elect the Democratic nominee for the United States Senate and all our Democratic candidates.”