Tennessee Secretary of State

Last updated
Secretary of State of Tennessee
Seal of Tennessee.svg
Great Seal of the State of Tennessee
Flag of Tennessee.svg
Flag of the State of Tennessee
Tre Hargett Gives a Speech.png
Incumbent
Tre Hargett
since January 15, 2009
Department of State
Type Secretary of State
Appointer Tennessee General Assembly
Term length Four years
Constituting instrument Tennessee State Constitution
Formation1792
First holderDaniel Smith
Website Tennessee Secretary of State website

The Tennessee Secretary of State is an office created by the Tennessee State Constitution. The Secretary of State is responsible for many of the administrative aspects of the operation of the state government of Tennessee. The current Secretary of State is Tre Hargett.

Contents

Selection process

According to the Tennessee Constitution of 1870, the Secretary of State is to be elected to a four-year term by the General Assembly in a joint convention. "Joint convention" means that the 99 state Representatives and 33 state Senators sit as a single body and cast individual votes. A majority of the 132 votes (67) is thus required for election. As this office is elected on a partisan basis, this means that the party having an overall majority of members in the two houses will elect its nominee secretary of state. Since Reconstruction, in Tennessee this invariably resulted in the secretary of state being a Democrat until 2009, when the Republicans gained the majority of seats in the General Assembly. The election of the secretary of state occurs in the cycle opposite to that of the election of the governor of Tennessee; in other words the term of the Tennessee Secretary of State is roughly coincident with that of the President of the United States, generally beginning and ending only a few days earlier.

Tennessee's method of selection stands in contrast to that of nearly all other U.S. states, where the secretary of state is generally either popularly elected on a statewide basis or appointed by the governor of the state. In contrast to the practice of some states, in Tennessee the secretary of state is not high in the order of succession to the governorship; the speakers of the Senate and House are the first two in line.

Secretary of State is one of only three state "constitutional officers" other than governor under the Tennessee Constitution; most other states have more. In contrast to this office, the other two, the State Treasurer and the Comptroller of the Treasury, are elected by the joint convention to two-year terms. There are no constitutional limits on the number of terms to which a person can be elected to any of these offices. The agency headed by the secretary of state is officially styled the "Tennessee Department of State".

Duties

As the secretary of state is elected by the legislature, the secretary of state's office is considered to be part of the legislative branch, not the executive branch, of government in Tennessee. [1] Duties of the secretary of state's office include the chartering of corporations, the registration of trademarks and service marks, and the administration of elections. The secretary of state also publishes the biennial Tennessee Blue Book , the official guide to all three branches of Tennessee State Government, and other state publications including the publication of all public and private acts enacted by the General Assembly. The secretary of state is further charged with the regulation of charitable solicitations, the operations of the state library and archives, and the administration of the state Economic Commission on Women. To discharge the above duties, the Tennessee Department of State employs several administrative law judges.

The secretary of state collects an annual salary of $222,252, making them the highest-remunerated secretary of state in the country. [2]

In history

According to some historians, during the American Civil War, Secretary of State Edward H. East succeeded to the governorship when Andrew Johnson, who had served as military governor, became Vice President of the United States on March 4, 1865, and served as governor until April 5, when William "Parson" Brownlow was inaugurated as governor. The official Tennessee Blue Book, published by the secretary of state's office, does not include East on its list of governors. As the Tennessee General Assembly ceased to meet during the Civil War and much of the ordinary process of government ceased effective function in the state, East had been appointed Secretary of State by Johnson. Those who recognize East's governorship do so on the theory that he was the highest-ranking remaining state official once Johnson had become Vice President.[ citation needed ]

Joe C. Carr served as secretary of state on three occasions for a total of 27 years in the office, making him the longest-serving secretary; in addition, his wife held the office while he was in military service during World War II. [3] As secretary of state and thus the official responsible for conducting elections in the state, he was the nominal defendant in the famous 1962 Supreme Court case Baker v. Carr , in which the Supreme Court held that Congressional and legislative districts had to be of substantially equal populations in order to comply with the "equal protection" provision of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (the so-called "one man one vote" decision). (Carr's name as defendant was merely ex officio ; the General Assembly, not the secretary of state, was responsible for setting the district boundaries, Carr's responsibility was to publish the resulting map and conduct elections accordingly.)

In the 1970s and 1980s the secretary of state's office was given the responsibility for issuing and administering bingo licenses. An investigation into irregularities in the issuance of these licenses (Operation Rocky Top) resulted in several indictments and the suicide of then-Secretary of State Gentry Crowell. As a result, bingo was made illegal in Tennessee, which it remains, except that it has been legal as an annual fundraising event for a recognized 501c(19) war veteran's organization since a 2014 amendment to the state constitution.

The current secretary of state, Tre Hargett, has served since January 2009. He had previously served as Minority Leader in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

List of past secretaries of state

The following have held the office of Secretary of State in Tennessee: [4] [5]

ImageNameTerm
Daniel Smith
(Territorial Secretary of Territory South of the River Ohio)
1792–1796
William Maclin1796–1807
Robert Houston 1807–1811
William Grainger Blount 1811–1815
William Alexander 1815–1818
Daniel Graham1818–1830
Thomas H. Fletcher1830–1832
Samuel G. Smith1832–1835
Luke Lea 1835–1839
John S. Young1839–1847
W .B. A. Ramsey1847–1855
F. N. W. Burton1855–1859
J. E. R. Ray1859–1862
Edward-hazzard-east-by-ritchie.jpg Edward H. East
(appointed by Andrew Johnson, Military Governor of Tennessee)
1862–1865
A. J. Fletcher1865–1870
Thomas Harvey Butler Sr. (1819-1889).jpg T. H. Butler 1870–1873
Charles N. Gibbs1873–1881
David A. Nunn1881–1885
John Allison1885–1889
Charles A. Miller1889–1893
William S. Morgan1893–1901
Capt. John W. Morton.tif John W. Morton 1901–1909
Hallum W. Goodloe1909–1913
R. R. Sneed 1913–1917
Ike B. Stevens1917–1921
Ernest N. Hasten1921–1937
Ambrose B. Broadbent 1937–1941
Joe C. Carr 1941–1944
Mary Hart Carr (Mrs. Joe C. Carr)1944–1945
Joe C. Carr 1945–1949
James H Cummings.jpg James H. Cummings 1949–1953
George Edward Friar 1953–1957
Joe C. Carr 1957–1977
Gentry Crowell 1977–1989
Milton P. Rice 1989–1990
Bryant Millsaps 1990–1993
Riley Darnell.png Riley Darnell 1993–2009
Tre Hargett Gives a Speech.png Tre Hargett 2009–present

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Governor of Tennessee</span> Head of state and the government of the U.S. state of Tennessee

The governor of Tennessee is the head of government of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The governor is the only official in the Tennessee state government who is directly elected by the voters of the entire state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Governor of North Carolina</span> Head of state and government of the U.S. state of North Carolina

The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. Seventy-five people have held the office since its inception in 1776. The governor serves a term of four years and chairs the collective body of the state's elected executive officials, the Council of State. The governor's powers and responsibilities are prescribed by the state constitution and by law. They serve as the North Carolina's chief executive and are tasked by the constitution with faithfully carrying out the laws of the state. They are ex officio commander in chief of the North Carolina National Guard and director of the state budget. The office has extensive powers of appointment of executive branch officials, some judges, and members of boards and commissions. Governors are also empowered to grant pardons and veto legislation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina</span> Second-highest elected official in the state

The lieutenant governor of North Carolina is the second-highest elected official in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is the only elected official to have powers in both the legislative and executive branches of state government. A member of the North Carolina Council of State, the lieutenant governor serves a four-year term with a two consecutive term limit. The current lieutenant governor is Mark Robinson, a Republican, who has held the office since 2021. The Constitution of North Carolina designates the lieutenant governor the ex officio president of the State Senate and a member of the State Board of Education. They are also required to serve as acting governor of the state in the event of the governor's absence, and assume the governorship in the event it becomes vacant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Branch Giles</span> American politician (1762–1830)

William Branch Giles was an American statesman, long-term Senator from Virginia, and the 24th Governor of Virginia. He served in the House of Representatives from 1790 to 1798 and again from 1801 to 1803; in between, he was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and was an Elector for Jefferson in 1800. He served as a United States Senator from 1804 to 1815 and then served briefly in the House of Delegates again. After a time in private life, he joined the opposition to John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay in 1824; he ran for the Senate again in 1825 and was defeated but appointed Governor for three one-year terms in 1827; he was succeeded by John Floyd, in the year of his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Governor of Puerto Rico</span> Head of government of the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico

The governor of Puerto Rico is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and commander-in-chief of the Puerto Rico National Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee House of Representatives</span> Lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly

The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee Senate</span> Upper house of the Tennessee General Assembly

The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the U.S. state of Tennessee's state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee General Assembly</span> Legislative branch of the state government of Tennessee

The Tennessee General Assembly (TNGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is a part-time bicameral legislature consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives. The Speaker of the Senate carries the additional title and office of Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee. In addition to passing a budget for state government plus other legislation, the General Assembly appoints three state officers specified by the state constitution. It is also the initiating body in any process to amend the state's constitution.

The Constitution of the State of Tennessee defines the form, structure, activities, character, and fundamental rules of the U.S. State of Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secretary of state (U.S. state government)</span> Official in the state governments of the United States

The secretary of state is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and other U.S. possessions. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, this official is called the secretary of the commonwealth. In states that have one, the secretary of state is the chief clerk of the state and is often the primary custodian of important state records. In the states of Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah, there is no secretary of state; in those states many duties that a secretary of state might normally execute fall within the domain of the lieutenant governor. Like the lieutenant governor, in most states, the secretary of state is in the line of succession to succeed the governor, in most cases immediately behind the lieutenant governor. In three states with no lieutenant governor as well as the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, the secretary of state is first in the line of succession in the event of a gubernatorial vacancy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Confederate government of Kentucky</span> Government of Kentucky in exile (1861–1865)

The Confederate government of Kentucky was a shadow government established for the Commonwealth of Kentucky by a self-constituted group of Confederate sympathizers during the American Civil War. The shadow government never replaced the elected government in Frankfort, which had strong Union sympathies. Neither was it able to gain the whole support of Kentucky's citizens; its jurisdiction extended only as far as Confederate battle lines in the Commonwealth, which at its greatest extent in 1861 and early 1862 encompassed over half the state. Nevertheless, the provisional government was recognized by the Confederate States of America, and Kentucky was admitted to the Confederacy on December 10, 1861. Kentucky, the final state admitted to the Confederacy, was represented by the 13th (central) star on the Confederate battle flag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Tennessee</span>

The government of Tennessee is organized under the provisions of the 1870 Constitution of Tennessee, first adopted in 1796. As set forth by the state constitution, Administrative influence in Tennessee is divided among three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secretary of State of Arizona</span> Elected position in the U.S. state of Arizona

The secretary of state of Arizona is an elected position in the U.S. state of Arizona. Since Arizona does not have a lieutenant governor, the secretary stands first in the line of succession to the governorship. The secretary also serves as acting governor whenever the governor is incapacitated or out of state. The secretary is the keeper of the Seal of Arizona and administers oaths of office. The current office holder is Democrat Adrian Fontes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lieutenant governor (United States)</span> State government official, typically second highest officer after the governor

A lieutenant governor is an official in state governments of 45 out of 50 of the United States. In most cases, the lieutenant governor is the highest officer of state after the governor, standing in for that officer when they are absent from the state or temporarily incapacitated. In the event a governor dies, resigns or is removed from office, the lieutenant governor typically becomes governor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tre Hargett</span> American politician (born 1969)

Gus Lusk "Tré" Hargett III is an American Republican Party politician who is serving as the 37th Secretary of State of Tennessee since 2009.

Joseph Cordell Carr, Sr. was a Democratic Party politician in the state of Tennessee who served 20 years as Tennessee Secretary of State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Tennessee gubernatorial election</span> Election for the governorship of Tennessee

The 2018 Tennessee gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the next governor of Tennessee. Incumbent Republican Governor Bill Haslam was term-limited, and is prohibited by the Constitution of Tennessee from seeking a third consecutive term. Republican candidate Bill Lee was elected with nearly 60% of the vote, defeating Democratic nominee and former Nashville mayor Karl Dean.

John G. Morgan is an American politician who served as the 33rd Comptroller of the Treasury of Tennessee from 1999 to 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comptroller of the Treasury of Tennessee</span>

The Comptroller of the Treasury of Tennessee is an office established by Chapter 12 of the Public Acts of 1835-36 of Tennessee's General Assembly. Later, in 1870, the position of Comptroller became mandatory by the state constitution. The office has 12 divisions and employs over 560 people. The office's mission to the make government work better. The current Comptroller of the Treasury is Jason Mumpower.

References

  1. Hargett, Tre. 2021-2022 Tennessee Blue Book (PDF). Tennessee Secretary of State. p. 3. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  2. Willis, Caroline; Halpyrn, Rebecca (January 20, 2023). "State Executive Salaries: Regional and State-level Comparisons". Council of State Governments . Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  3. Joe C. Carr, Secretary of State, Tennessee Blue Book 1975-1978, page 33
  4. " Tennessee Blue Book 1975-1978, by Tennessee Dept. of State, page 35
  5. Secretaries of State, Tennessee Blue Book 2007-2008, page 507