2006 New Member Profiles
Tennessee Senate: Bob Corker (R)

The Almanac of American Politics
© National Journal Group Inc.

Bob Corker (R)
Born:	August 24, 1952
Family:	Wife, Elizabeth; two children
Religion:	Protestant
Education:	University of Tennessee, B.S. 1974
Career:	Construction company owner; investor
Elected  Office:	Chattanooga mayor, 2001-05

Thanks to a late surge in the campaign, former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker overcame Democratic Rep. Harold Ford in the closely watched race to succeed retiring Sen. Bill Frist, the majority leader.

For much of the general election campaign, it appeared as if Corker, a wealthy construction company owner, might defy Tennessee's recent Republican trend in national elections and lose a seat that was critical to his party's hopes of retaining Senate control. Ford faced no serious opposition in the August 3 Democratic primary-enabling him to conserve his resources and enter the homestretch unscarred -- and he ran a nearly flawless campaign. Corker, by contrast, endured a tough, expensive GOP primary.

In the primary, Corker faced two conservative former congressmen, Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary, both of whom had recent experience as statewide candidates. The more moderate Corker spent $6 million through mid-July alone, in an effort to introduce himself to voters and to defend against charges that he was insufficiently conservative. Corker ended up winning by a comfortable margin, as Bryant and Hilleary split the conservative vote. He took 48 percent to Bryant's 34 percent and Hilleary's 17 percent.

Corker struggled to unify the party after the contentious primary, and he failed to gain traction against Ford. His efforts to frame Ford as too liberal for Tennessee fell flat in the face of Ford's centrist positions on illegal immigration, the Iraq war, border security, and gay marriage. Ford also put Corker on the defensive about his business dealings and his tenure as Chattanooga mayor.

But Ford faced the uphill task of running in a state that hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since Al Gore won in 1990. The issue of race also posed challenges for Ford, who is African-American, in a state that had never before elected a black candidate to statewide office. Yet it was the Ford family name, not his racial background, that caused him the most trouble. The scion of a Memphis political dynasty, Ford had to weather distractions caused by several family members, including his uncle, former state Sen. John Ford, who was indicted on federal corruption charges the day after Harold filed his paperwork to run for the Senate; John later resigned from office.

Heading into the campaign's final weeks, the election was a dead heat. But Corker gained just enough momentum to put him over the top after Republicans began zeroing in on Ford's personal story -- he went to prep school in Washington, graduated from an Ivy League university, and attended law school in Michigan before taking over his father's seat in Congress -- and portraying it as a life of privilege.