NEW YORK — MSNBC host Chris Matthews put an end to speculation that he was considering a bid for the U.S. Senate, telling his producers Wednesday that he had decided not to jump into the 2010 race in his home state of Pennsylvania.
In a routine production meeting before his daily show, “Hardball,” Matthews informed the staff that he was not going to pursue the seat, network spokesman Jeremy Gaines said. Matthews, who is negotiating a new contract at MSNBC, declined to comment.
For several months, Matthews toyed with taking on Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, going so far as to talk to state Democratic power brokers.
Matthews’ interest in the seat put MSNBC in an uncomfortable position as reports mounted that he might run. In recent weeks, executives told him that he needed to make up his mind quickly.
Matthews got his start in politics working as a speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter and a top aide to the late House Speaker Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill, D-Mass. But it’s unclear how the voluble cable host, who has often stirred controversy with his off-the-cuff political commentary, would have fared as a candidate.
