Tennessee Senate Speaker Ramsey announces he won’t run again

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey, a leading figure in the Republican takeover of all three branches of Tennessee state government, says he won’t run for re-election this year.

The Blountville auctioneer became the first Republican speaker of the Senate since Reconstruction in 2007.

Ramsey has contributed heavily to GOP candidates through his political action committee over the years, and in 2014 bankrolled a high-profile effort to defeat Democratic Supreme Court justices in retention elections.

While the Supreme Court campaign failed to oust any of the justices, the high court decided to appoint a Republican as attorney general. And the subsequent retirement by one of the Democratic justices gave the GOP control of the high court this year.

Ramsey made an unsuccessful bid for governor in 2010.