Bill Hagerty | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| United States Senator fromTennessee | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2021 Serving with Marsha Blackburn | |
| Preceded by | Lamar Alexander |
| 30thUnited States Ambassador to Japan | |
| In office August 31, 2017 – July 22, 2019 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Caroline Kennedy |
| Succeeded by | Rahm Emanuel (2022) |
| Economic and Community Development Commissioner of Tennessee | |
| In office February 14, 2011 – June 6, 2014 | |
| Governor | Bill Haslam |
| Preceded by | Matt Kisber |
| Succeeded by | Randy Boyd |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Francis Hagerty IV (1959-08-14)August 14, 1959 (age 66) Gallatin, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Vanderbilt University (BA,JD) |
| Website | Senate Website Campaign website |
William Francis HagertyIV (/ˈhæɡərti/HAG-ər-tee; born August 14, 1959) is an American politician, businessman, and diplomat serving as thejuniorUnited States senator fromTennessee since 2021. A member of theRepublican Party, he served as the 30thUnited States ambassador to Japan from 2017 to 2019 under PresidentDonald Trump.
Hagerty began his career inprivate equity. Hagerty is the co-founder of Hagerty Peterson & Company, a private equityinvestment firm; he is a former managing director of the firm. From 2011 to 2014, Hagerty served as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. He led a successful effort to bring aMajor League Soccer franchise toNashville. President Trump nominated Hagerty to serve as U.S. ambassador to Japan on March 27, 2017; theU.S. Senate confirmed him on July 13 in an 86–12 vote. Hagerty was sworn in as the 30th United States ambassador to Japan on July 27, 2017. He resigned in July 2019 to run for the U.S. Senate.
Hagerty ran in the2020 election for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated byLamar Alexander. He won the Republican primary and defeatedDemocratic nomineeMarquita Bradshaw in the general election.
Hagerty is a native ofGallatin, inSumner County, Tennessee. He became anEagle Scout, and was awarded theDistinguished Eagle Scout Award in 2017.[1] He is a 1977 graduate ofMadisonville North Hopkins High School in Kentucky.[2] He earned aBachelor of Arts ineconomics andbusiness administration fromVanderbilt University in 1981. He received aJuris Doctor fromVanderbilt Law School in 1984.[3][4]
Hagerty began his career atBoston Consulting Group, culminating in a three-year assignment toTokyo.[3] He was an economic advisor andWhite House Fellow in the administration of PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush[5] and then began a career in private equity, initially at Trident Capital inSilicon Valley. Hagerty is the co-founder of Hagerty Peterson & Company, aprivate equityinvestment firm; he is a former managing director of the firm.[6] He served as a national finance chair forMitt Romney's 2008 presidential campaign.[7]
From 2011 to 2014, Hagerty served as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development in the cabinet of GovernorBill Haslam, where he played a role in investments byBridgestone,Calsonic Kansei (nowMagneti Marelli), andNissan in Tennessee.[8]
Hagerty has served on the board of CyMed, NEW Customer Services,Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,Ryman Hospitality,Pinnacle Financial Partners, and R.J. O'Brien.[9]
Before his confirmation as U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Hagerty founded and led the Nashville MLS Steering Committee, a coalition seeking to bring aMajor League Soccer franchise toNashville,Tennessee. The effort was successful, with Nashville being officially selected and named the first of two new MLS expansion markets on December 20, 2017.Nashville SC debuted in the 2020 MLS season.[10][11][12][13]
During the early stages of the2016 presidential election, Hagerty was nominated to serve on the ballot as a delegate forJeb Bush. Bush dropped out of the race before the Tennessee primary on March 1, 2016.[14] After the Tennessee primary, Hagerty served as Trump Victory Chair for Tennessee. After Trump became the Republican nominee, Hagerty was selected in August 2016 as director of appointments for Trump'sfirst presidential transition team.[15][16]
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Trump nominated Hagerty to be theUnited States Ambassador to Japan on March 27, 2017.[17] Hagerty was confirmed by the Senate on July 13, 2017, in an 86–12 vote.[18][19] He was sworn in on July 27, 2017.[20][21]
Before his confirmation, Hagerty was reportedly also under consideration forUnited States Trade Representative, based on his prior international trade and U.S. foreign investment experience.[22][23] The job eventually went toRobert Lighthizer, an attorney and formerReagan Administration official.
On July 16, 2019, Hagerty announced that he would resign as Ambassador to Japan to run for the Senate.[24]
In December 2018, U.S. SenatorLamar Alexander announced that he would not run for a fourth term.[25] When asked about possible successors, Alexander named Hagerty and former governorBill Haslam as the "most obvious" candidates.[26] On July 11, 2019, Haslam announced that he would not run for the Senate.[27] The next day, Trump tweeted that Hagerty would resign as ambassador to Japan to run for the open Senate seat. In the same tweet, Trump endorsed Hagerty for Senate.[28][29][30] Hagerty was mentioned as a potential U.S. secretary of state during the same period.[31]
Hagerty officially launched his Senate campaign in September 2019.[32] By the end of the month, he had raised $1.9 million for his campaign.[33] By April 6, Hagerty had raised more than $7 million, with $1.2 million raised in the first quarter of 2020.[34] Speakers at Hagerty campaign fundraisers includedDonald Trump Jr.,Kimberly Guilfoyle,[35] andNikki Haley.[36]
Beginning in late May 2020, news outlets began circulating an article, originally published by Roger Sollenberger inSalon, discussing allegations of campaign finance misconduct by Hagerty.[37] The article focused largely on a loan given to the Hagerty Campaign byPinnacle Financial Partners almost immediately following theCoronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.[38]
On August 6, 2020, Hagerty won the Republican primary.[39][40] He defeated Democratic nomineeMarquita Bradshaw in the November general election,[41][42] 1,840,926 votes to 1,040,691.[43] Hagerty took office on January 3, 2021.[44][45]
Hagerty initially planned to object to certifying the2021 United States Electoral College vote count over unsubstantiated claims ofvoter fraud. But after Trump supportersstormed the U.S. Capitol, he changed his mind and voted to certify the count.[46][47] On May 28, 2021, Hagerty voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the Capitol attack.[48]
In August 2021, Hagerty used a procedural maneuver to grind the final vote on the $1 trillionInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to a halt, citing the expense and the upcoming $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill.[49] His actions drew the ire of both Democratic and Republican senators, with Democrats accusing Hagerty of doing Trump's bidding and Republicans such asMitt Romney andKevin Cramer showing frustration.[50]
In July 2022,Business Insider reported that Hagerty had violated theStop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012, a federal transparency and conflict-of-interest law, by failing to disclose on time sales of stock from his three of his dependent children'strusts.[51]
In October 2024, it was reported that Hagerty was being considered for a Cabinet position, eitherTreasury, Commerce, or State.[52] After Trump won, reports singled out Treasury as the most likely spot for Hagerty.[53] Ultimately, Hagerty remained in the Senate.
On July 18, 2025, President Trump signed into law theGENIUS Act,[54] legislation Hagerty drafted and championed.[55] It is the first major federalcryptocurrency law[56] and creates a regulatory framework forstablecoins.
Hagerty is a self-describedconservative.[61] His views have been characterized aspopulist and in line withTrump's political views.[62]
During his 2020 Senate campaign, Hagerty resigned from the board of futures brokerage R.J. O'Brien & Associates after an opponent claimed the firm was donating money to theBlack Lives Matter Foundation,[63] an organization of which Hagerty is critical. He was also called "entitled" for acquiring a $2.5 million loan to his campaign from Pinnacle Bank (where he had formerly been a director) at a time when small businesses were having difficulty getting federal stimulus loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.[64]
Hagerty supports thedeath penalty for people convicted of engaging in human trafficking acts.[65] He believes thatSharia Law is a national security threat to the U.S. and that the U.S. should continue to supportIsrael.[66][67] Hagerty supports reducing taxes and supports enacting abalanced budget amendment to theConstitution of the United States.[66] He opposes raising thefederal minimum wage.[68] Hagerty opposes thePatient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and believes that the federal government should reduce its involvement in health care.[69] He supports efforts to prevent the closure of rural hospitals.[68] Hagerty supports increased investment and development offossil fuels, and supports repealingrenewable energy andenergy efficiency standards.[69] He also supports American energy independence.[69]
Hagerty strongly supports theUnited States–Mexico–Canada Agreement. In 2025, after the Mexican government seized a deep-water port owned byVulcan Materials Company, he and SenatorKatie Britt reintroduced the Defending American Property Abroad Act, which would "impose retaliatory prohibitions to deter and punish any nation in the Western Hemisphere that unlawfully seizes American assets". This legislation expands the powers of theDepartment of Homeland Security andOffice of the United States Trade Representative to investigate and prohibit vessels from entering a U.S. port and respond to foreign governments that deny U.S. companies fair and equal treatment.[70][71]
Hagerty is married to Chrissy Hagerty, and has four children.[66] He is anEpiscopalian[72] and identifies as aconservative Christian.[68]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Hagerty | 331,267 | 50.75% | |
| Republican | Manny Sethi | 257,223 | 39.41% | |
| Republican | George Flinn, Jr. | 22,454 | 3.44% | |
| Republican | Jon Henry | 8,104 | 1.24% | |
| Republican | Natisha Brooks | 8,072 | 1.24% | |
| Republican | Byron Bush | 5,420 | 0.83% | |
| Republican | Clifford Adkins | 5,316 | 0.81% | |
| Republican | Terry Dicus | 2,279 | 0.35% | |
| Republican | Tom Emerson, Jr. | 2,252 | 0.35% | |
| Republican | David Schuster | 2,045 | 0.31% | |
| Republican | John Osborne | 1,877 | 0.29% | |
| Republican | Roy Dale Cope | 1,791 | 0.27% | |
| Republican | Kent Morrell | 1,769 | 0.27% | |
| Republican | Aaron Pettigrew | 1,622 | 0.25% | |
| Republican | Glen Neal, Jr. | 1,233 | 0.19% | |
| Total votes | 652,724 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bill Hagerty | 1,840,926 | 62.20% | +0.33% | |
| Democratic | Marquita Bradshaw | 1,040,691 | 35.16% | +3.29% | |
| Independent | Elizabeth McLeod | 16,652 | 0.56% | N/A | |
| Independent | Yomi Faparusi | 10,727 | 0.36% | N/A | |
| Independent | Stephen Hooper | 9,609 | 0.32% | N/A | |
| Independent | Kacey Morgan(withdrawn) | 9,598 | 0.32% | N/A | |
| Independent | Ronnie Henley | 8,478 | 0.30% | N/A | |
| Independent | Aaron James | 7,203 | 0.29% | N/A | |
| Independent | Eric William Stansberry | 6,781 | 0.23% | N/A | |
| Independent | Dean Hill | 4,872 | 0.16% | N/A | |
| Independent | Jeffrey Grunau | 4,160 | 0.14% | N/A | |
| Write-in | 64 | 0.00% | ±0.00% | ||
| Total votes | 2,959,761 | 100.00% | |||
| Republicanhold | |||||
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | United States Ambassador to Japan 2017–2019 | Succeeded by Joseph Young Acting |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forU.S. Senator fromTennessee (Class 2) 2020 | Most recent |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Tennessee 2021–present Served alongside:Marsha Blackburn | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | Order of precedence of the United States as United States Senator | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States senators by seniority 75th | |
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