Bob Corker Retirement Puts Spotlight On Jewish Candidate (Or Two) In Deep Red Tennessee
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Nathan Guttman September 27, 2017
Bob Corker’s surprise announcement Tuesday that he will not seek re-election in 2018 could put in play what was once a safe GOP seat.
For Democrats, hoping to ride an anti-Trump wave and to flip as many seats as possible, this means taking another look at James Mackler, the only Democrat currently in the Tennessee race. Mackler is a Jewish attorney from Nashville who served as Blackhawk helicopter pilot with the 101st Airborne Division and is married to a rabbi.
“I am running for the United States Senate to work as hard as I can to restore respect, honesty, and, most importantly, integrity in Washington,” Mackler told the Tennessean Tuesday.
But Corker’s decision not to run could also spell some bad news for Mackler. With an open seat and Democrats sensing a chance for a flip, the party may chose to seek a more seasoned candidate to lead the race, rather than Mackler who is only now making his first steps in the political world.
Another Jewish name thrown into the ring is that of David Kustoff, a Republican freshman congressman who is rumored to be eying the vacant Senate seat. Kustoff has yet to announce his intentions.
Contact Nathan Guttman at [email protected] or on Twitter @nathanguttman
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
