Tre Hargett
Tre Hargett | |
|---|---|
 Hargett in 2014 | |
| 37th Secretary of State of Tennessee | |
| Assumed office January 15, 2009 | |
| Governor | |
| Preceded by | Riley Darnell |
| Chair of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority | |
| In office February 2008 – January 2009 | |
| Governor | Phil Bredesen |
| Preceded by | Pat Miller |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth Hill |
| Member of the Tennessee 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 February 7, 1969 Ripley, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Dawn Simbeck |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent |
|
| Education | University of Memphis (BA, MBA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Government website |
Tre Hargett (born February 7, 1969) is an American Republican Party politician who is serving as the 37th Secretary of State of Tennessee since 2009.
Early life and education
[edit]He is the son of Tennessee Adjutant General Gus L. Hargett Jr. and Mrs. Pat Vaughan. He is a Southern Baptist.[1]
Hargett earned a B.B.A. in accounting with honors, as well as an M.B.A. from the University of Memphis.
Career before politics
[edit]In the private sector, Hargett worked for Rural/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]
Tenure in state legislature and Tennessee Regulatory Authority
[edit]Hargett served in the Tennessee 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 of Tennessee 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 the Tennessee General Assembly and served from February 2008 through January 2009. He was succeeded by Dr. Kenneth Hill.[5]
Tenure as secretary of state
[edit]In January 2009, the state legislature's new Republican majority voted to replace longtime Secretary of State Riley 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 the COVID-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 the fundamental right to vote guaranteed by the Tennessee Constitution."[9]
In July of 2021, a state debate took place on whether to remove a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general, from inside the Tennessee 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]
Secretary of State electoral history
[edit] | Parts of this article (those related to Section) need to be updated. The reason given is: New elections need to be added here. (March 2023) |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tre Hargett | 70 | 53.44% | ||
| Democratic | Riley Darnell (incumbent) | 61 | 46.56% | ||
| Total votes | 131 | 100.00% | |||
References
[edit]- ^ Starr, Susan. "Tennessee House Member, 100th Assembly". www.capitol.tn.gov.
- ^ a b "12/7/2007 - Ramsey Nominates Hargett For Tennessee Regulatory Authority - Breaking News". Chattanoogan.com. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
- ^ Starr, Susan. "Tennessee House Member, 99th General Assembly". www.capitol.tn.gov.
- ^ "Subscription". The Tennessean. December 7, 2007. p. E2. Retrieved May 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "9 May 2009, 12 - The Jackson Sun at Newspapers.com". Retrieved March 30, 2019.
- ^ Martínez-Beltrán, Sergio (April 2, 2019). "Voter Registration Groups Could Soon Be Fined If They Submit Incomplete Applications". Nashville Public Radio. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
- ^ Stevens, Matt (April 16, 2019). "Tennessee Advances Bill That Could Make It Harder to Register New Voters". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
- ^ Ebert, Joel (April 2, 2019). "Voter registration groups could face fines for too many incomplete forms under new bill". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
- ^ "Judge: Tennessee must allow vote by mail for all amid virus". Associated Press. Retrieved June 9, 2020 – via Citizen Tribune.
- ^ "Bust of Klan Leader Removed From Tennessee State Capitol". New York Times. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
- ^ "GOP sweeps constitutional officer vote". The Leaf-Chronicle. January 16, 2009. p. 7. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
[edit]Statewide political officials of Tennessee | ||
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