Jim Tracy (politician)

Jim Tracy (born October 9, 1956) is an American politician and the Tennessee Director for Rural Development for the Trump Administration. He is a former member of the Tennessee Senate for the 14th district, which is composed of Bedford County, Moore County, and part of Rutherford County.

For other uses, see Jim Tracy (disambiguation).
Jim Tracy
Tennessee State Director of USDA Rural Development
Assumed office
November 13, 2017[1]
PresidentDonald Trump
Joe Biden
Preceded byHarriet Cannon[2]
President pro tempore of the Tennessee Senate
In office
January 10, 2017 – November 6, 2017
Preceded byBo Watson
Succeeded byFerrell Haile
Member of the Tennessee Senate
from the 14th district
In office
January 2013 – November 6, 2017
Preceded byEric Stewart[3]
Succeeded byShane Reeves[4]
Member of the Tennessee Senate
from the 16th district
In office
January 2005 – January 2013
Preceded byLarry Trail[5]
Succeeded byJanice Bowling[6]
Personal details
Born (1956-10-09) October 9, 1956
Political partyRepublican
EducationUniversity of Tennessee (BS)

Tennessee Senate

Among legislation Tracy sponsored was a bill that would ban smoking in indoor public places, places owned or operated by the state, and enclosed areas of employment. The bill passed the State and Local Government Committee with five senators in favor and two against. It passed in May 2007 and took effect on October 1, 2007.[7]

Tracy was the Assistant Floor Leader of the Senate Republican Caucus, the Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, and a member of the Senate Education Committee and the Senate State and Local Government Committee.

Before his election to the Senate, Tracy graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a Bachelor of Science degree and worked as an insurance agent.

Congressional campaigns

2010 U.S. Congressional campaign
Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee, 2010

In December 2009, after incumbent U.S. Representative Bart Gordon decided to retire, Tracy announced that he would run in the Republican primaries for the state's 6th Congressional district.[8] It was one of the few districts in which John McCain’s margin of victory (25 percentage points) in the 2008 presidential election was larger than George W. Bush's in 2004 (20 points).[9] Among the possible candidates mentioned by insiders were state Representatives Henry Fincher and Mike McDonald, both Democrats who declined to run.[10][11] Tracy's biggest competition in the Republican primary came from state Senator Diane Black and former Rutherford County GOP chairwoman Lou Ann Zelenik. Newt Gingrich endorsed Tracy.[12] He finished third in the primary.

2014 U.S. Congressional campaign
Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee, 2014

Tracy announced that he would challenge Representative Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee's 4th congressional district in the 2014 Republican primary.[13] By the end of June 2013 he had raised nearly $750,000.[14] DesJarlais won the Republican primary by a mere 38 votes before going on to win the general election handily.[15]

USDA Rural Development

In 2017 Tracy was appointed Tennessee state director of USDA Rural Development.[16]

References
  1. "Trump Administration Appoints Jim Tracy to Serve as State Director for USDA Rural Development in Tennessee". 13 November 2017.
  2. "President Trump appoints state Sen. Jim Tracy to U.S. Department of Agriculture office". The Tennessean.
  3. "Our Campaigns - TN State Senate 14 Race - Nov 06, 2012".
  4. "Our Campaigns - TN State Senate 14 Race - Nov 08, 2016".
  5. "Our Campaigns - TN State Senate 16 Race - Nov 02, 2004".
  6. "Our Campaigns - TN Senate 16 Race - Nov 04, 2008".
  7. Humphrey, Tom (2007-10-01). "Statewide smoking ban goes into effect today". Knoxvillenews.com. Knoxville News-Sentinel. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
  8. McArdle, John (December 14, 2009). "Tracy to Enter Race to Replace Gordon". CQ politics. Archived from the original on February 16, 2010. Retrieved December 23, 2009.
  9. "Tennessee - 6th District". CQ Politics. Dec 21, 2009. Archived from the original on 19 January 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  10. "Ruling: Only for the rich?". Shelbyville Times-Gazette. January 8, 2010.
  11. Sisk, Chas (December 28, 2009). "Mike McDonald won't seek Gordon's seat". The Tennessean.
  12. "Gingrich endorses Tracy in GOP congressional primary race". The Sidelines. August 4, 2010. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011.
  13. Sher, Andy (January 3, 2013). "Tracy kicks off campaign to take on DesJarlais". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
  14. Trygstad, Kyle (July 10, 2013). "DesJarlais Challenger Posts Big Fundraising Haul #TN04". Roll Call. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  15. Cahn, Emily (2014-08-26). "DesJarlais Wins by 38 Votes, Jim Tracy Concedes (Video)". Roll Call. Retrieved 2016-08-19.
  16. Willard, Michelle (November 6, 2017). "Jim Tracy named as state director of Rural Development, resigns from state senate". Murfeesboro Voice. Retrieved June 18, 2019.


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