Randell "Randy" Tyree (born 1940) is a

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

politician who served as

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state' ...

from 1976 to 1983 and was the Democratic candidate for

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

in 1982.

Biography

Tyree was born in

Carthage, Tennessee Carthage is a town in and the county seat of Smith County, Tennessee, United States; it is part of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,306 at the 2010 census. It is located on the Cumberland River, which was importan ...

, in 1940. He received a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

from

Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU or MT) is a public university in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Founded in 1911 as a normal school, the university consists of eight Undergraduate education, undergraduate colleges as well as a college of Postgr ...

, where his major was political science. Subsequently he earned a law degree from the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state ...

.Randy Tyree (D) - Sheriff
'' Knoxville News Sentinel'', July 20, 2008 Tyree, now divorced, was married to the former Mary Pat Dukas. The couple has four children. For a ten-year period early in his career, he worked in

law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules Rule or ruling may refer to: Education ...

, including a four-year stint with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as well as a period as a

police officer A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...

in Knoxville. He also served as a police commissioner in the City of Knoxville.Tyree will be on August ballot for Knox County sheriff
WATE-TV website, June 8, 2006 He was elected mayor of Knoxville at age 34 in 1975, the city's youngest candidate ever to hold that office, defeating

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

incumbent Kyle Testerman. He took office the following year.Chronology for World's Fair issues
'' Knoxville News Sentinel'', April 28, 2002 In 1979 he won re-election to a second four-year term, and presided over the city during the

1982 World's Fair The 1982 World's Fair, officially known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition (KIEE) and simply as Energy Expo '82 and Expo '82, was an international exposition held in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. Focused on energy and ele ...

. In 1982 Tyree ran for Governor with support from

Jake Butcher Jacob Franklin Butcher (May 8, 1936 – July 19, 2017) was an American banker and politician. He built a financial empire in East Tennessee and was the Democratic Party nominee for governor of Tennessee in 1978. He was also the primary pro ...

. He won the Democratic nomination by defeating Anna Belle Clement O'Brien in the primary election, but lost to Republican

incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-ele ...

governor

Lamar Alexander Andrew Lamar Alexander Jr. (born July 3, 1940) is a retired American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 2003 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he also was the 45th governor of Tennessee from ...

in the November general election. 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 A write-in candidate is a candidate whose name does not appear on the ballot but seeks election by asking voters to cast a vote for the candidate by physically writing in the person's name on the ballot. Depending on electoral law it may be poss ...

, winning over 5% of the vote and thus earning a place in the August general election, which he lost to Republican

Tim Hutchison. In 2008 he won the Democratic primary held in February, but lost to J.J. Jones in the August general election.Primary & General Election Results, August 7, 2008
WATE-TV website, accessed April 5, 2011

References

External links

Randy Tyree's blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tyree, Randy 1940 births Living people American municipal police chiefs Federal Bureau of Investigation agents Mayors of Knoxville, Tennessee Middle Tennessee State University alumni Tennessee Democrats University of Tennessee alumni People from Carthage, Tennessee