Shuler: I’m not running for the Senate

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler said Monday he will not run for Senate in 2010, declining a chance to seek a seat in the upper chamber as Democrats plot to expand their majority on Capitol Hill.

Shuler said he was flattered to have so many people ask him to challenge Republican Sen. Richard Burr.

“However, with our nation facing the most difficult economic times in generations, I feel my efforts are better utilized focusing on solutions to these challenges rather than campaigning across the state,” Shuler said in a statement.

Galvanized by the successful campaign to unseat former GOP Sen. Elizabeth Dole in November, Democrats have been eager to target Burr’s seat when he faces re-election for the first time late next year. The party would particularly like to win a filibuster-proof 60 seats in the Senate, which could help them override Republican efforts to block legislation.

Shuler has broad appeal in a state where voters prefer conservative Democrats. A former quarterback at the University of Tennessee and NFL, Shuler already has wide name recognition across the state and broad support in his western North Carolina district.

 

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