NASHVILLE (AP) — Former state Rep. Joe Carr, who lost Republican primary challenges for congressional seats in the last two election cycles, is mulling a bid for governor next year.

Carr tells The Tennessean that while he currently has no plans to run to succeed term-limited Gov. Bill Haslam, he's been reaching out to potential supporters to gauge interest in his entering the race.

The Murfreesboro Republican says he could only see himself running if he perceives a groundswell of grassroots support for his candidacy.

Carr ran against U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander in the Republican primary in 2014 and surprised many observers by only falling short by 9 percentage points. He failed to capture much enthusiasm for his 2016 challenge of U.S. Rep. Diane Black, losing by 32 percentage points.