Tre Hargett | |
|---|---|
 Hargett in 2014 | |
| 37thSecretary of State of Tennessee | |
| Assumed office January 15, 2009 | |
| Governor | |
| Preceded by | Riley Darnell |
| Chair of theTennessee Regulatory Authority | |
| In office February 2008 – January 2009 | |
| Governor | Phil Bredesen |
| Preceded by | Pat Miller |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth Hill |
| Member of theTennessee House of Representatives from the 97th district | |
| In office 1996–2006 | |
| Preceded by | Tim Joyce |
| Succeeded by | Jim Coley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gus Lusk Hargett III (1969-02-07)February 7, 1969 (age 56) Ripley,Tennessee, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Dawn Simbeck |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent |
|
| Education | University of Memphis (BA,MBA) |
| Signature | .png) |
| Website | Government website |
Tre Hargett (born February 7, 1969) is an AmericanRepublican Party politician who is serving as the 37thSecretary of State of Tennessee since 2009.
He is the son of TennesseeAdjutant GeneralGus L. Hargett Jr. and Mrs. Pat Vaughan. He is aSouthern Baptist.[1]
Hargett earned a B.B.A. in accounting with honors, and an M.B.A. from theUniversity of Memphis.
In the private sector, Hargett worked forRural/Metro, an emergency services provider. At the time of his appointment as TRA chairman, Hargett was serving as the corporation's Vice President for the Southern Region.[2]
Hargett served in theTennessee House of Representatives from 1996 to 2006 representing District 97 (Bartlett and Memphis).[3] He was twice elected Republican Leader by his colleagues.
In 2007, he was nominated to the position ofTennessee Regulatory Authority (TRA) chairman, which sets the rates and service standards of privately owned telephone, natural gas, electric and water utilities.[2][4] He was confirmed by theTennessee General Assembly and served from February 2008 through January 2009. He was succeeded by Dr. Kenneth Hill.[5]
In January 2009, the state legislature's new Republican majority voted to replace longtime Secretary of StateRiley Darnell with Hargett. Hargett immediately resigned from his position as TRA chairman and took office as secretary of state on January 15, 2009.
In 2019, Hargett supported legislation which would make it possible to fine voter registration groups that submitted incomplete voter registrations.[6][7] Critics charged that the legislation was intended to reduce registration of new voters.[8] In an interview, Hargett stated the goal of the legislation was to ensure that elections run smoothly while limiting financial and other burdens state and local officials face when registration forms are turned in at the last minute.
In 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic in Tennessee, Hargett opposed allowing voters who fear catching or spreading the coronavirus to vote by mail in the 2020 elections. A state judge overruled Hargett's position, holding that Tennessee must allow vote by mail for all voters and that the restrictions on vote by mail that Hargett sought to impose were "an unreasonable burden on thefundamental right to vote guaranteed by theTennessee Constitution."[9]
In July of 2021, a state debate took place on whether to remove abust of Nathan Bedford Forrest, aConfederate general, from inside theTennessee State Capitol. Hargett voted in favor of removing the Forrest bust, as well as those of U.S. Admirals David Farragut and Albert Gleaves.[10]
 | Parts of this article (those related to Section) need to beupdated. The reason given is: New elections need to be added here. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(March 2023) |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tre Hargett | 70 | 53.44% | ||
| Democratic | Riley Darnell (incumbent) | 61 | 46.56% | ||
| Total votes | 131 | 100.00% | |||
| Tennessee House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tim Joyce | Member of theTennessee House of Representatives from the 97th district 1996–2006 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Secretary of State of Tennessee 2009–present | Incumbent |
Statewide political officials ofTennessee | ||
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