Congressman Lincoln Davis will not run to be Tennessee’s next governor.
After serious consideration, the Pall Mall Democrat says he doesn’t want to give up the seniority he’s built in the US House.
Davis says his decision has nothing to do with the rural fourth district possibly turning over to Republicans. The Congressman and part-time farmer, who wears cowboy boots with his suits, says another conservative Democrat could still win the seat if he left.
Davis says his new position on the House Appropriations Committee will allow him to do more good for Tennessee than he could do as governor.
“It gives me the opportunity to stay where I am, as an appropriator, that can impact how the dollars for this country are being spent, and target those.”
Davis says he hopes to influence federal spending in the state by directing more funds to Oak Ridge National Lab and Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma.
Two Democrats have formed fundraising committees to run for governor –- former House Majority Leader Kim McMillan of Clarksville and Nashville businessman Ward Cammack.