Tennessee Governor Picks Aide to Fill Gore Senate Seat Until ’94
NASHVILLE — Gov. Ned McWherter appointed his deputy Monday to fill Vice President-elect Al Gore’s Senate seat for the next two years.
Harlan Mathews will be a caretaker who will not seek the seat himself, the Democratic governor said at a news conference.
McWherter said he began seriously considering a caretaker after Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.), who had been a leading contender for the job, took himself out of the running in late November.
Mathews, 65, said he would represent the state “without spending a single hour worrying about reelection. As a fiscal conservative, I plan to focus on cutting the federal deficit, reforming health care and improving our economy.”
Gore will resign Saturday, 2 1/2 weeks before he is sworn in as vice president.
Four years remain on his term. Mathews will serve until 1994, when a special election will be held to fill the last two years.
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