McNally re-elected Lt. Governor and Speaker of Tenn. Senate

Published 1:50 pm Thursday, January 12, 2023

The Tennessee State Senate this week re-elected Lt. Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) for a fourth term as Speaker of the Senate. Senators met at noon on the first organizational day of the 113th General Assembly to elect their speaker. By statute, the Speaker of the Senate holds the title of Lieutenant Governor. McNally has served as Speaker of the Senate and Lieutenant Governor since January 2017.

“The Tennessee Senate is one of the most conservative legislative bodies in the nation. This is a great source of pride and has resulted in great things for our state. But our strength comes not just from our conservatism but also from our dedication to the people of this state,” said Lt. Governor McNally. “I am extremely proud to once again serve the people of Tennessee as Speaker of the Senate and Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee. I am grateful for your trust and will not let you down.

“Tennessee has made remarkable progress over the last decade. Conservative ideas have been put into action and our state is better for it. We have low taxes, low debt and our economy continues to grow as jobs and people flood into our state. We will continue to face challenges this year and in the years to come. Some will be predictable, some will be unpredictable. But we will get through them by working together for the benefit of all Tennesseans.”

Tennessee’s fiscal conscience, Lt. Governor Randy 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, 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’s budget in balance and its credit “Triple-A” rated.

In addition to his 26 years on the Senate Finance Ways and Means Committee, 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. McNally counts among his many achievements the American Conservative Union 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.

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.