Conservative Democratic Blue Dog Rep. John Barrow said Friday he has “no plans” as yet to run for the newly open Senate seat in Georgia in 2014.

“At this time, I have no plans to run for anything else than re-election in the 12th district,” he said in a statement to CQ Roll Call, “but I am certainly gratified that people have been suggesting I run for the Senate.”

“Senator Chambliss has been a great public servant to the State of Georgia and the entire country, and he’s someone I’ve respected throughout our time working together. He’s set an example for his willingness to reach across the aisle to actually get things done in a very partisan Congressional climate,” Barrow said.

Barrow, along with Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, are considered the best Democratic prospects for the seat currently occupied by Sen. Saxby Chambliss, who Friday announced he wouldn’t run for another term.

In a response to a question from CQ Roll Call about whether the mayor had any interest in running for the Senate, his office released a statement from him.

“I congratulate Senator Saxby Chambliss on his service to the people of the great State of Georgia and to the United States of America as a two-term U.S. Senator,” Reed said. “I wish him and his family all the best as he concludes a distinguished public career. Today is a day to acknowledge his many contributions to our state and nation rather than to focus on politics.”

In November, when asked by CQ Roll Call about Reed’s interest in a Senate bid, his spokeswoman, Sonji Jacobs Dade, was a bit more direct.

“Mayor Reed is running for re-election as mayor of Atlanta in 2013 and if the people give him another four years, he plans to serve his term,” she said.

Reed is seen as a rising star in Georgia, a state where demographic trends indicate it’s likely to become a battleground in years to come.