Randy McNally | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2011 | |
| 50thLieutenant Governor of Tennessee Speaker of the Tennessee Senate | |
| Assumed office January 10, 2017 | |
| Governor | Bill Haslam Bill Lee |
| Preceded by | Ron Ramsey |
| Member of theTennessee Senate from the5th district | |
| Assumed office January 13, 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Buzz Elkins |
| Member of theTennessee House of Representatives from the 33rd district | |
| In office January 9, 1979 – January 13, 1987 | |
| Preceded by | A. Keith Bissell |
| Succeeded by | David Coffey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Rand McNally III (1944-01-30)January 30, 1944 (age 82) Boston,Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Janice McNally |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Memphis (BS) University of Tennessee, Memphis (MPharm) |
| Website | Government website |
James Rand McNally III (born January 30, 1944) is an American politician. He is the 50thlieutenant governor of Tennessee. A member of theRepublican Party, he has been the state senator from the5th district since 1987.[1][2]
McNally was born inBoston,[3] Massachusetts and later graduated fromOak Ridge High School, Tennessee in 1962, obtained aBachelor of Science (BS) fromMemphis State University in 1967, and graduated fromUniversity of Tennessee College of Pharmacy in 1969.[4]
Beginning in the late 1960s, he worked as apharmacist in chain drug stores. In 1978, he began employment as a hospital pharmacist at Methodist Medical Center inOak Ridge, Tennessee.[5][6] McNally has served in theTennessee General Assembly since 1979.[7][8] He was elected to the 91st through 94th General Assemblies as a member of theTennessee House of Representatives. He was a key figure in theOperation Rocky Top investigation in the late 1980s, when he worked undercover to help theFederal Bureau of Investigation andTennessee Bureau of Investigation obtain evidence on political corruption in the Tennessee state government.[9]
He moved to the State Senate for the 95th General Assembly in 1987 and has served there continuously since then.[10] McNally was a candidate for lieutenant governor and Speaker of the Senate in 2007, but fellow RepublicanRon Ramsey was elected. On January 10, 2017, he was elected lieutenant governor and Senate Speaker by the state senate.[11]
McNally isRoman Catholic.[3] He and his wife, Janice, have two daughters.[12]
In February 2023, McNally underwent emergency heart surgery after having symptoms of an irregular heartbeat. Doctors atVanderbilt University Medical Center installed a pacemaker for McNally. He returned to theTennessee Senate one week later.[13]
In March 2023, it was reported McNally had used his verifiedInstagram account to 'like' and comment on sexually suggestive social media posts on the Instagram account of a 20-year-old gay man.[14][15] VariousLGBT groups criticized McNally and accused him of hypocrisy, due to his support for socially conservative laws, including theTennessee Adult Entertainment Act.[16] A spokesman for McNally stated he "enjoys interacting with constituents and Tennesseans of all religions, backgrounds and orientations on social media" and "has no intention of stopping".[15][17]
About a week later, state Rep.Todd Warner released a statement calling on McNally to step down and accusing him of being a predator.[18] A meeting of the Senate GOP caucus voted to retain McNally as speaker.[19]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee 2017–present | Incumbent |
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