In late November of 2008, reports surfaced that MSNBC pundit Chris Matthews was considering running for the Pennsylvania state Senate seat in 2010. Although political projection website FiveThirtyEight reported that Matthews was hiring staff for his upcoming Senate run, a Matthews spokesperson told Politico: "It is absolutely not true."FiveThirtyEight: Chris Matthews Staffing Up for Probable Senate Run in 2010 (November 28, 2008) Politico: Report: Matthews staffing for Senate run - Update (November 28, 2008) On January 7, 2009, The New York Times reported that Matthews had decisively told his staff that he was not going to run for Senate.The New York Times: NBC's Matthews Won't Run for Senate (January 7, 2009)

Rumors about Matthews running for Pennsylvania state Senate in 2010 had surfaced earlier in the year following an appearance on The Colbert Report, during which Matthews told host Stephen Colbert: "I want to be a Senator. But I have to deal with these things as they come. ... There's a difference between being a celebrity and someone who works for the people. And it's a greater thing to work for the people than being on television."The Huffington Post: Chris Matthews Tells Colbert: "I Want To Be A Senator" (April 15, 2008) Matthews later denied his interest, commenting on Real Time with Bill Maher that he had "made a commitment to covering politics...not getting involved in it."ag-east.com: Real Time With Bill Maher Transcript (April 18, 2008)