Republican Sen. Bob Corker won't seek re-election

Sen. Bob Corker.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Republican Sen. Bob Corker (Tenn.) announced Tuesday that he will not run for re-election in 2018.

Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he will retire next year when his second term expires. Before joining the Senate, the 65-year-old was a businessman and the former mayor of Chattanooga. "When I ran for the Senate in 2006, I told people that I couldn't imagine serving for more than two terms," Corker said in a statement. "Understandably, as we have gained influence, that decision has become more difficult. But I have always been drawn to the citizen-legislator model, and while I realize it is not for everyone, I believe with the kind of service I provide, it is the right one for me."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.