WASHINGTON — The race to replace Sen. Marsha Blackburn is intensifying in Tennessee, just days after she won the race for governor, with one Republican congressman publicly expressing interest and speculation swirling around Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Rep. Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican who won reelection Tuesday, told The Associated Press that he wants to be considered for the Senate seat when Blackburn becomes governor in January.
“Absolutely. Absolutely,” Burchett said when asked.
Hegseth has also surfaced as a potential replacement, with his future uncertain after Republicans' sweeping losses in the midterm elections. But Hegseth is not currently being considered for the seat, according to a person familiar with the matter who discussed the private conversations on condition of anonymity.
The person said Blackburn is focused on her transition to the governorship and dismissed speculation about appointing Hegseth to the Senate seat as baseless chatter.
Blackburn, who is serving her second Senate term, has indicated she plans to retain the seat until she is sworn in as governor, allowing her to appoint her own replacement to serve out the remainder of her term, which ends in January 2031.
Much of the post-midterms speculation about potential Cabinet shuffles has centered on Hegseth, a key architect of President Donald Trump’s unpopular war with Iran who is already shaping up to be a top target of congressional Democrats.
The House is expected to return next week and is facing a vote on whether to impeach Hegseth.
Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he is not considering replacing Hegseth, saying “I think he’s doing a very good job.”
“I actually think he’d be very popular if he did that,” Trump said of Hegseth potentially filling Blackburn’s seat.
Hegseth moved to Tennessee with his family in 2022, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Meanwhile, Hegseth released a video on social media on Thursday in which he acknowledged the threat of impeachment and argued that the move would be “all about the politics of personal destruction” that “won’t work with me. You can rest assured of that.”
With a Democratic-led Senate that will control at least 54 seats next year, Trump is certain to face steep hurdles confirming any high-profile picks for federal judgeships or for Cabinet posts.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told The Associated Press on Thursday that Democrats are “not going to allow any crappy nominees” to be confirmed to the Supreme Court, the broader federal judiciary or to the Cabinet.
—
Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.