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Randy Tyree
Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee
In office
1976–1983
Preceded by Kyle Testerman
Succeeded byKyle Testerman
Personal details
Born1940 (age 83–84)

Randell "Randy" Tyree (born 1940) is a Tennessee politician who served as mayor of Knoxville from 1976 to 1983 and was the Democratic candidate for Governor in 1982.

Biography

Tyree was born in Carthage, Tennessee, in 1940. [1] He received a bachelor's degree from Middle Tennessee State University, where his major was political science. Subsequently he earned a law degree from the University of Tennessee. [2] Tyree, now divorced, was married to the former Mary Pat Dukas. The couple has four children. [2]

For a ten-year period early in his career, he worked in law enforcement, including a four-year stint with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as well as a period as a police officer in Knoxville. He also served as a police commissioner in the City of Knoxville. [3] [4]

He was elected mayor of Knoxville at age 34 in 1975, the city's youngest candidate ever to hold that office, defeating Republican incumbent Kyle Testerman. He took office the following year. [5] In 1979 he won re-election to a second four-year term, and presided over the city during the 1982 World's Fair. [5]

In 1982 Tyree ran for Governor with support from Jake Butcher. He won the Democratic nomination by defeating Anna Belle Clement O'Brien in the primary election, [6] but lost to Republican incumbent governor Lamar Alexander in the November general election. [5]

Tyree unsuccessfully sought to again become mayor in the 1987 election.

Tyree was a candidate for sheriff of Knox County in 2006 and 2008. In the May 2006 primary he ran as a write-in candidate, winning over 5% of the vote and thus earning a place in the August general election, which he lost to Republican incumbent Tim Hutchison. [4] [7] [8] In 2008 he won the Democratic primary held in February, but lost to J.J. Jones in the August general election. [9]

References

  1. ^ The Political Graveyard
  2. ^ a b Randy Tyree (D) - Sheriff, Knoxville News Sentinel, July 20, 2008
  3. ^ Randy Tyree (D) - Sheriff, Knoxville News Sentinel, January 13, 2008
  4. ^ a b Tyree will be on August ballot for Knox County sheriff, WATE-TV website, June 8, 2006
  5. ^ a b c Chronology for World's Fair issues, Knoxville News Sentinel, April 28, 2002
  6. ^ Sarah McCally Morehouse, The Governor as Party Leader, page 86, University of Michigan Press, 1998, ISBN  978-0-472-10848-0
  7. ^ Catharyn Campbell, Hutchison wins fifth term as Knox County sheriff, WATE-TV website, August 3, 2006
  8. ^ Tyree to run again for Knox Co. sheriff, WATE-TV website, December 12, 2007, updated January 11, 2008.
  9. ^ Primary & General Election Results, August 7, 2008, WATE-TV website, accessed April 5, 2011

External links

Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Governor of Tennessee
1982
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee
1976-1983
Succeeded by