Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett is angling to become a senator in 2027.
Mr. Burchett wants an appointment to the Senate after Tennessee’s gubernatorial election, Punchbowl News reported Thursday.
Known for his eccentric personality and signature Carhartt jacket, the East Tennessee lawmaker is aligned with the House’s hardline conservative faction.
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He was first elected in 2018 and has often bucked House Republican leadership, including by voting to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, California Republican, in 2023.
The Senate seat he’s aiming for will open after Tuesday’s midterms since incumbent Republican Marsha Blackburn is running for governor.
Under Tennessee law, the governor appoints a new senator amid a vacancy.
Ms. Blackburn has said she intends to appoint her own replacement if elected as governor but has declined to specify who that would be.
This unprecedented maneuver would involve Ms. Blackburn holding off on resigning until her potential Jan. 17 inauguration as governor. Otherwise, current Gov. Bill Lee would appoint the new senator.
The appointee would fill Ms. Blackburn’s seat until the 2028 election, whose winner would serve the final two years of the term.
Mr. Burchett told the outlet that if he doesn’t get the appointment, he will “absolutely” campaign in 2028 against whoever does and would benefit from “a very good, positive network throughout the state of grassroots people.”
He complained that, in the Senate, House “bills just go there to die.”
Glenn Jacobs, the former pro wrestler who recently finished his final term as mayor of Knox County, has also expressed interest in being appointed to the seat, as has GOP Rep. Chuck Fleischmann.
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