In this episode of Backroads & Backstories with Paul Bailey, Senator Bailey sits down with Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally. The two discus McNally’s tenure with the state legislature and reflect on some of his biggest accomplishments throughout his career.
Show Notes
Links
- https://www.capitol.tn.gov/senate/members/s5.html
Some of the highlights of the show include:
- Lt. Gov. Randy McNally was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He and his family moved to Oak Ridge, TN, when McNally in 1948 when his dad accepted a job at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
- McNally graduated from Oak Ridge High School and went on to study pharmacy.
- He met his wife during a game of Bridge while a student in pharmacy school and working at Cardinal Health. Jan worked at the same hospital at the time, Covenant.
- McNally’s pharmacy career includes both retail and hospital pharmacy.
- Lt. Gov. McNally is a big lacrosse fan and player. Most recently, he participated in a 24-hour game in Kennesaw, GA that raised over $10,000 for Wounded Warriors.
- McNally and his wife, Jan, have a fondness for Golden Retrievers. They have rescued four over their 50+ year marriage, including their current pup, Shadow.
- Growing up, McNally did not see himself getting into politics. Initially, he was interested in history but ended up studying biology and chemistry.
- McNally first got involved in politics while in college when he volunteered on Winfield Dunn’s election for governor in 1970.
- McNally first ran for elected office in 1978. Today, he is the longest-serving member in the Tennessee Legislature.
- According to the Lt. Governor, a lot has changed in the legislature during his tenure. He says there is a lot more professionalism now, of which he believes social media has played a part in.
- McNally played a key part in Operation Rocky Top, which focused on breaking up illegal Bingo Operations known as the Cornbread Mafia in the state. The operation led to about 80 people being indicted and all but one were convicted for crimes ranging from income tax fraud to kidnapping and assault.
- McNally was elected Speaker of the Senate in 2017, which also holds the title of Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee. He describes the day as being very special for him and his family.
- After McNally stepped into the role of Speaker of the Senate, he helped Senator Paul Bailey join the Transportation Committee and then later the Chair of the Commerce Committee.
- McNally says staying grounded and not letting the public recognition get to his head has been his biggest challenge since getting elected to office. He reminds himself that he is a public servant.
What is Backroads and Backstories with Paul Bailey?
Senator Paul Bailey started the Backroads & Backstories podcast to take a behind-the-scenes look at the issues and to better get to know the people who are shaping the future for the Volunteer State. In this series, we’ll explore the backstories along the backroads of our part of Tennessee. We invite you to join us on our journey to highlight these folks and what makes our area such a special place to live.