GOP Lawmaker Opts Not to Run
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Rep. Bill Jenkins announced Wednesday that he would not seek reelection this fall after representing northeast Tennessee for nearly a decade.
Jenkins, 69, said he was leaving office to spend time with his family and work on his farm. His announcement touched off a flurry of speculation about possible candidates in both parties.
“This has caught me so off guard, like a lot of people. I thought he’d be there for a long time,” said Republican state Sen. Mike Williams.
Jenkins won the Republican nomination in 1996 from a field of 11 candidates and was elected to succeed Rep. Jimmy Quillen, who retired after 17 terms.
Before joining the House, Jenkins served as a judge and on the board of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest public utility.
As a state lawmaker, he became the only Republican speaker of the Tennessee House since the 1800s.
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