Corker, Bob, 1952-

CORKER, Robert (Bob), a Senator from Tennessee; born in Orangeburg, S.C., August 24, 1952; attended the public schools in Chattanooga, Tenn.; graduated with a bachelor of science degree in industrial management, University of Tennessee 1974; commercial real estate developer; construction company owner; unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate 1994; commissioner, Tennessee Finance and Administration Department 1995-1996; mayor of Chattanooga 2001-2005; elected as a Republican to the United States Senate in 2006; reelected in 2012, and served from January 3, 2007, to January 3, 2019; chair, Committee on Foreign Relations (One Hundred Fourteenth and One Hundred Fifteenth Congresses); was not a candidate for reelection to the Senate in 2018.

<p>Robert Phillips Corker Jr. (born August 24, 1952) is an American businessman and politician who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 2007 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2015 to 2019.</p>

<p>In 1978, Corker founded a construction company, which he sold in 1990. This increased his net worth to $45 million. He ran in the 1994 United States Senate election in Tennessee, but was defeated in the Republican primary by Bill Frist. Appointed by Governor Don Sundquist, Corker served as Commissioner of Finance and Administration for the State of Tennessee from 1995 to 1996, preceded by David Manning and succeeded by John Ferguson. He later acquired two of the largest real estate companies in Chattanooga, Tennessee, before being elected the 71st Mayor of Chattanooga in March 2001; he served one term (2001–2005).</p>

<p>Corker announced his candidacy for the 2006 United States Senate election in Tennessee after Frist announced his retirement. Corker narrowly defeated Democratic U.S. Representative Harold Ford Jr. in the general election, with 51% of the vote. In 2012 Corker was reelected, defeating Democrat Mark E. Clayton, 65% to 30%. On September 26, 2017, Corker announced that he would not seek reelection in 2018; fellow Republican U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn was elected to succeed him.</p>

<p>During his time in the Senate, he served as the Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee.</p>

BOB CORKER is a successful businessman, former United States Senator, and was previously named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine. Corker represented Tennesseans in the Senate from 2007-2018, where he served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and became a national and global thought leader on fiscal, financial, and foreign policy issues. He was Tennessee’s commissioner of finance and mayor of Chattanooga before being elected to the Senate, but he spent most of his life in business. At the age of 25, Corker started his own general contracting firm that quickly expanded operations to 18 states around the country. Soon after, he founded the Corker Group, which acquired, developed, built, managed, and leased projects. He ultimately purchased two of the largest and oldest real estate holding companies in Chattanooga. After an extensive public service career, in January of 2019, Corker returned to business. He currently serves as chairman of Rise Ventures, a joint venture between the Corker Group and Rise Partners; is chairman of One-to-One Health; and is a special advisor to Jefferies Financial Group, a global investment banking firm. He also serves on the advisory board for several philanthropic and policy-focused organizations. Corker and his wife, Elizabeth, call Chattanooga home.