Fincher decides against running for Congress

COOKEVILLE -- Henry Fincher made it official Wednesday. After weeks of mulling a run for Congress, Fincher says he has decided against it. The Democrat from Cookeville, who represents the 42nd District in the Tennessee General Assembly, says there are too many things to consider in a bid for Congress. "My family and my clients and my law practice are depending on me. It's too important," Fincher told the Herald-Citizen. "If I just basically took off to go run for Congress, it wouldn't be right for the district or for the Upper Cumberland." Candidates for the 6th Congressional District have been popping up like daisies with the recent announcement that Democrat Bart Gordon will not seek reelection after 13 terms in office. But Fincher, a Cookeville attorney, says it will take a lot of money and a conservative outlook to get elected.

"A pro-life, pro-gun Democrat can win," he said. "The district may not be as staunchly Democrat as it once was, but it's not a Republican district either." A member of the Rules, House Ethics, Judiciary and Transportation Committees, the 40-year-old Fincher is also vice chair of the House Civil Practice and Procedure Subcommitte and the House Public Safety Subcommittee. He will continue to focus on the local and state issues instead of a seat in Washington. "Our state budget is a tremendous challenge. I want to be there and use the credibility I have built up with my colleagues to help Putnam County and the Upper Cumberland to help bring jobs here and help make sure Tennessee Tech is treated fairly during these tough budget times," Fincher explained.

"I feel like we are just getting started. I ran on the platform of 'Let's get moving' and I've been down there three years now and have passed several bills," continued Fincher, who has sponsored 47 bills in the latest session. "The one thing I want to keep pushing is the issue of illegal immigration. This is something that needs to be addressed and I will keep fighting for it."

Fincher says he will seek a third term for his seat in the state House of Representatives, but he hasn't ruled out a run for Congress in the future. "Now isn't the time. Never say never," he said. "The situation may turn around some time." The Congressional seat, which was once held by former Vice President Al Gore, includes 15 counties in the Middle Tennessee area. With Fincher's decision not to run, a bona fide Democrat has yet to emerge for Gordon's replacement. Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen said in an interview with The Associated Press this week that potential Democratic candidates may be dissuaded from pursuing the seat because redistricting is on the horizon after the 2010 census. "I'm sure part of Bart's calculation was you can work as hard as you want this year, but you're going to get redistricted out of it in two years," Bredesen said.

"It's a slightly problematical district today, and likely to become very problematical," he said. Republican candidates for the 6th District seat so far include state Sens. Diane Black of Gallatin and Jim Tracy of Shelbyville and former Rutherford County Republican Party Chairwoman Lou Ann Zelenik, among others. "Look, the state is becoming more conservative, you've seen that in last few elections," Bredesen said. "And Democrats in Tennessee are certainly not getting any help from where national Democrats are going. It's going to be tough." The filing deadline is April 1.

The AP contributed to this story.

Had this been an open seat in 1994, it would’ve fallen then. It voted against its former occupant in 1996 when Gore was running for his second term as VP (and formally against him in 2000). This seat has dramatically gone from a backwards rural rodent fiefdom to a suburban heavily GOP one, a good chunk of the legislative seats within it have gone GOP. Fincher’s district in Cookeville (which itself should have a GOP member) is on the extreme eastern outskirts. Were he to have been the nominee, he’d have been lucky to break 40%, Fincher had to have seen the polling data, and the national climate.

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