In the weeks leading up to the August 7 primary, Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper kept mum about whether he would choose to pursue a second eight-year term in office. He made his decision public on Monday.
Cooper will submit his name in a bid for a second term as the state's top law enforcement official. In a statement, Cooper referenced the contentious battle over three Tennessee Supreme Court justices in last week's primaries.
“Tennesseans sent a clear message last week that they want an independent, nonpartisan judicial branch,” the statement read. “That is how I have run the Attorney General’s office over the last eight years, and I am proud of our many accomplishments. I am strongly convinced the office must continue in this direction.”
Cooper's reference to the state's highest court was likely no coincidence. Tennessee is the only state in the country whose attorney general is appointed by the supreme court. Cooper will need the court's support to get a second term.
Attorney General Cooper was referenced frequently in Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey's push to oust Supreme Court justices Cornelia Clark, Sharon Lee and Gary Wade in last week's retention elections. Cooper was criticized for not joining other attorneys general in a multi-state lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act.
The Tennessee Supreme Court will accept applications for the attorney general's post until August 29. Public hearings will be held afterward, then a selection will be made.