NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Democratic Congressman John Tanner of Tennessee says he will retire next year after 11 terms.
The 65-year-old was a co-founder in 1994 of the Blue Dog coalition of fiscally conservative Democrats.
Tanner is an attorney from Union City and former state lawmaker. He was first elected to the 8th House District representing rural northwestern Tennessee in 1988.
He has not faced a serious challenge since first being elected to Congress. In 2006, he defeated Republican John Farmer with 73 percent of the vote. He faced no Republican opposition last year.
The National Republican Congressional Committee is touting farmer Stephen Fincher's candidacy as it targets Democrats in rural districts.
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