McNally Re-Elected Lt. Governor And Speaker Of The Senate

The State Senate on Tuesday re-elected Lt. Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) for a second term as Speaker of the Senate. Senators met at noon on the first organizational day of the 111th General Assembly to elect their speaker. By statute, the Speaker of the Senate holds the title of Lieutenant Governor. Mr. McNally has served as Speaker of the Senate and Lieutenant Governor since January 2017.

"I do not take lightly the confidence you have placed in me," Lt.

Governor McNally said. "To serve you as Speaker of the Senate has been a truly humbling experience. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity to continue in this role. It is my great privilege to represent Tennessee as Lieutenant Governor. I pray I will continue to be equal to the task.

"In the past eight years, the promises made during the Republican road to the majority became promises kept while in office. More Tennesseans have a job than ever before. We achieved AAA credit ratings from all three rating agencies. We became the most improved state in the nation in education. And we cut taxes $800 million dollars.

"This success is not a matter of luck. It is the result of dedicated public servants making tough decisions with an eye toward the future. We are all here to make Tennessee a better place. Let's continue to believe in Tennessee together. Let's get to work."
 
Tennessee's fiscal conscience, Lt. Governor McNally is only the second Republican Tennessee Senate Speaker in modern history and the first from Anderson County in nearly 150 years.

As chairman of the Senate's Finance, Ways and Means Committee for a decade, Mr. McNally oversaw the General Assembly's only constitutionally prescribed duty: the passage of a balance budget. Recognized across the state as a finance and budget expert, McNally's leadership has been critical in keeping Tennessee budget in balance and its credit "Triple-A" rated.

In addition to his 26 years on the Senate Finance Ways and Means Committee, Mr. McNally also served as chairman of the Senate Education Committee in the 102nd and 103rd General Assemblies.

A legislative leader for over 40 years, Lt. Governor McNally has been recognized for his work in the General Assembly and his community. He counts among his many achievements the American Conservative Union Conservative Achievement Award, NFIB's Guardian of Small Business Award, the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police Legislative Award and the Tennessee Press Association Open Government Award.

Lt. Governor McNally received his B.S. from Memphis State University in 1967 and graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy in 1969. He served as a hospital pharmacist at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge from 1979 until his retirement in 2010. Lt. Governor McNally and his wife Janice have two adult daughters, Melissa and Maggie, three grandchildren, Haley, Morgan and Trent, and one great-grandchild, Malachi.