Parker withdraws from state senate race

Dyersburg businessman Pete Parker announced Wednesday he is dropping his campaign for the Democratic nomination to run for the Tennessee Senate.

"I appreciate the support and encouragement that my community of Dyersburg and the people across Tennessee have given me," he said in a brief written statement. "However, the timing is not right this year for me to run for office."

Despite his withdrawal, Parker will remain on the ballot for the Aug. 5 Democratic Party primary.

"He called us yesterday to say he is withdrawing," Dyer County Election Administrator Jane Heathcott said Wednesday. "Candidates have seven days after the qualifying deadline to withdraw and remove their names from the ballot and since he missed that date his name will remain on the August primary ballot."

April 1 was the qualifying deadline for the August ballot.

Heathcott said if Parker gets more votes in the Democratic primary than any as-yet-unknown write-in candidate for state senate he also will appear on the Nov. 2 general election ballot as the nominee of his party.

Parker, who described himself as a Bredesen Democrat, is a native of Dyersburg. He operates a Dyersburg shoe store (Parker Shoes) and has also successfully run small businesses in Covington and Ripley.

During an interview Wednesday Parker said the portion of the district in Memphis was daunting to him.

"I don't think most people realize how much of Shelby County is in this (senatorial) district," he said. "There are 50,000 voters in the district in Shelby County and that's 63 to 67 percent of the vote in the district with Dyer, Lauderdale and Tipton counties comprising the remaining third of voters," he said. "I decided that is too big a hurdle to my candidacy."

Incumbent 32nd District Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, lives in Shelby County and is seeking re-election.

"In the years to come I will look for other ways to give back to this community and to our state," Parker said. "I will strongly consider running for office at some point in the future."