Randy McNally

{{distinguish|text=technology and publishing company Rand McNally}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Randy McNally

| image = Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit 2018 Congressman Chuck Fleischmann & State Senate Randy McNally Oak Ridge (Crop).jpg

| office = 50th Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee

| governor = Bill Haslam
Bill Lee

| term_start = January 10, 2017

| term_end =

| predecessor = Ron Ramsey

| successor =

| state_senate1 = Tennessee

| district1 = 5th

| term_start1 = January 13, 1987

| term_end1 =

| predecessor1 = Buzz Elkins

| successor1 =

| state_house2 = Tennessee

| district2 = 33rd

| term_start2 = January 9, 1979

| term_end2 = January 13, 1987

| predecessor2 = A. Keith Bissell

| successor2 = David Coffey

| birth_name = James Rand McNally III

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1944|1|30}}

| birth_place = Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Republican

| spouse = Janice McNally

| children = 2

| education = University of Memphis (BS)
University of Tennessee,
Memphis (MPharm)

| website = {{url|capitol.tn.gov/senate/speaker.html|Government website}}

| caption = McNally in 2018

}}

James Rand McNally III (born January 30, 1944) is an American politician. He is the 50th lieutenant governor of Tennessee. A member of the Republican Party, he has been the state senator from the 5th district since 1987.{{cite web|url=http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/34227599/mcnally-new-tennessee-senate-speaker-harwell-wins-in-house|title=McNally new Tennessee Senate speaker; Harwell wins in House|author=Schelzig, Eric|publisher=WRCB TV|date=January 10, 2017|access-date=February 10, 2017|archive-date=February 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211081526/http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/34227599/mcnally-new-tennessee-senate-speaker-harwell-wins-in-house|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=300283|title=Our Campaigns - TN State Senate 05 Race - Nov 04, 1986|website=www.ourcampaigns.com}}

Early life and education

McNally was born in Boston,https://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/24356/randy-mcnally#.XL6ooehKjIU "Randy McNally's Biography - Vote Smart. Massachusetts and later graduated from Oak Ridge High School, Tennessee in 1962, obtained a Bachelor of Science (BS) from Memphis State University in 1967, and graduated from University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy in 1969.{{Cite web |title=Senators - TN General Assembly |url=https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/legislatorinfo/member.aspx?district=S5&ga=114 |access-date=2025-04-18 |website=wapp.capitol.tn.gov}}

Career

Beginning in the late 1960s, he worked as a pharmacist in chain drug stores. In 1978, he began employment as a hospital pharmacist at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.{{cite web|url=http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/24356/randy-mcnally-mr|title=Senator James 'Randy' R McNally biography|publisher=Project Vote Smart|access-date=March 7, 2013}}{{cite news|url=http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/politics/state/story/2017/jan/11/stylistically-different-ramsey-tennessees-new/406898|title=Tennessee's new Senate Speaker Randy McNally pledges continued progress|author=Sher, Andy|newspaper=Chattanooga Times Free Press|date=January 11, 2017|access-date=February 10, 2017}} McNally has served in the Tennessee General Assembly since 1979.{{cite news|url=http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/10/ron-ramsey-departs-randy-mcnally-officially-becomes-lt-gov/96390794/|title=Ron Ramsey departs, Randy McNally officially becomes lieutenant governor|author=Ebert, Joel|newspaper=The Tennessean|date=January 10, 2017|access-date=February 10, 2017}}http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Archives/House/91GA/Publications/web%20journ%201979/01091979od1.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}} He was elected to the 91st through 94th General Assemblies as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives. He was a key figure in the Operation Rocky Top investigation in the late 1980s, when he worked undercover to help the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation obtain evidence on political corruption in the Tennessee state government.{{cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-168063345.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411064542/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-168063345.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 11, 2013|title=Business of politics changed after FBI sting|date=August 27, 2007|newspaper=Chattanooga Times Free Press}}

He moved to the State Senate for the 95th General Assembly in 1987 and has served there continuously since then.{{cite news|title=Squabble Over State Spending on Local Projects Slows Down Budget Talks|url=http://missouri-news.org/midwest-news/tennessee/squabble-over-state-spending-on-local-projects-slows-down-budget-talks/16386|newspaper=Missouri News Horizon|date=April 26, 2012}} McNally was a candidate for lieutenant governor and Speaker of the Senate in 2007, but fellow Republican Ron Ramsey was elected. On January 10, 2017, he was elected lieutenant governor and Senate Speaker by the state senate.{{cite news |last1=Ebert |first1=Joel |title=Ron Ramsey departs, Randy McNally officially becomes lieutenant governor |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/10/ron-ramsey-departs-randy-mcnally-officially-becomes-lt-gov/96390794/ |access-date=August 12, 2020 |work=The Tennessean |date=January 10, 2020}}

Political positions

=Marijuana=

Randy McNally has an "F" rating from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) for his voting history regarding cannabis-related causes.https://vote.norml.org/politicians/24356

Personal life

McNally is Roman Catholic. He and his wife, Janice, have two daughters.{{cite web|title=Randy McNally has been re-elected at Tennessee Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the Senate|date=January 11, 2023 |url=https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2023/01/10/randy-mcnally-has-been-re-elected-at-tennessee-lieutenant-governor-speaker-of-the-senate/}}

In February 2023, McNally underwent emergency heart surgery after having symptoms of an irregular heartbeat. Doctors at Vanderbilt University Medical Center installed a pacemaker for McNally. He returned to the Tennessee Senate one week later.{{Cite web |last=Sauter |first=Danica |title='I'm back': Lt. Gov. Randy McNally says after recovering from heart surgery |url=https://www.wsmv.com/2023/02/17/im-back-randy-mcnally-says-after-recovering-heart-surgery/ |access-date=March 9, 2023 |work=www.wsmv.com |date=February 17, 2023 |language=en}}

=Instagram controversy=

In March 2023, it was reported McNally had used his verified Instagram account to ‘like’ and comment on sexually suggestive social media posts on the Instagram account of a 20-year-old gay man.{{Cite news|last1 = Mojica|first1 = A.|last2 = Whittington|first2 = J.|date = March 8, 2023|title = Tennessee Lt. Governor McNally's Instagram account commented on man's photos|url = https://fox17.com/news/local/social-media-page-google-news-tennessee-lt-governor-randy-mcnallys-instagram-account-commented-on-mans-photos|access-date = March 9, 2023|website = WZTV}}{{Cite web |title=Lt. Gov. Randy McNally faces criticism for comments on young man's mature Instagram photos |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/lt-gov-randy-mcnally-faces-criticism-for-comments-on-young-man-s-mature-instagram-photos/ar-AA18pEMK |access-date=March 9, 2023 |website=MSN |language=en-US}} Various LGBT groups criticized McNally and accused him of hypocrisy, due to his support for socially conservative laws, including the Tennessee Adult Entertainment Act.{{cite news |last1=Matisse |first1=Jonathan |title=GOP leader's LGBTQ social media activity called hypocrisy |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/03/10/lgbtq-tennessee-social-media-lieutenant-governor-mcnally-instagram/c58b76da-bf86-11ed-9350-7c5fccd598ad_story.html |access-date=March 10, 2023 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=March 10, 2023}} 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".{{Cite web|date = March 9, 2023|title = Lt. Gov. Randy McNally responds on his Instagram commenting habits|url = https://www.newschannel5.com/news/lt-gov-randy-mcnally-responds-on-his-instagram-commenting-habits|access-date = March 9, 2023|website = News Channel 5 Nashville (WTVF)}}

About a week later, state Rep. Todd Warner released a statement calling on McNally to step down and accusing him of being a predator.{{Cite web |date=March 16, 2023 |title=Call for resignation of Lt. Gov. Randy McNally after social media controversy |url=https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-politics/call-for-resignation-of-lt-gov-randy-mcnally-after-social-media-controversy/ |access-date=March 20, 2023 |website=WKRN News 2 |language=en-US}} A meeting of the Senate GOP caucus voted to retain McNally as speaker.{{cite news|last=Brown|first=Melissa|title=Lt. Gov. Randy McNally survives confidence vote in Senate after Instagram controversy|date=March 20, 2023|work=The Tennessean|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/20/mcnally-survives-confidence-vote-in-senate-after-instagram-controversy/70031065007/|access-date=March 23, 2023}}

References

External links

[http://www.capitol.tn.gov/senate/members/s5.html Senator Randy McNally], Tennessee General Assembly website
[http://votesmart.org/candidate/24356/randy-mcnally-mr Senator James Randy McNally], Project Vote Smart
{{C-SPAN|125404}}

{{s-ttl|title=Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee|years=2017–present}}

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Category:1944 births

Category:American people of Irish descent

Category:21st-century American pharmacists

Category:American Roman Catholics

Category:Cannabis prohibition

Category:Lieutenant governors of Tennessee

Category:Living people

Category:People from Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Category:Politicians from Dedham, Massachusetts