Democratic Party of Tennessee
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The Tennessee Democratic Party (TNDP) is the affiliate of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...
in Tennessee. The party was founded in 1826 and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The Tennessee Democratic Party began alongside President Andrew Jackson's populist philosophy of Jacksonian democracy in the mid-1820s. From the late 19th-century until the 1960s, the party largely supported the use of the
Jim Crow The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States. Other areas of the United States were affected by formal and informal policies of segregation as well, but many states outside the Sout ...
system. The party started shifting away from Democratic conservatism towards accepting more aspects of modern liberalism during President Franklin D. Roosevelt's
New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...
era. Following the 1960s, the party began moving towards supporting civil rights for all, regardless of race, age, gender, religion, and condition.


Tennessee delegation of the Democratic National Committee

The delegation of each state to the
Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the governing body of the United States Democratic Party. The committee coordinates strategy to support Democratic Party candidates throughout the country for local, state, and national office, as well a ...
(DNC) consists of the highest-ranking elected male and female persons within the state's Democratic Party. In 2018 these were
Mary Mancini Mary Mancini is an American political activist and former candidate, who served as Chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party from 2015 to 2021. She was elected as Chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party on January 10, 2015 as the second woman to be ...
and
John Litz John Litz (born July 24, 1961) is a United States Democratic Party politician, formerly serving as a State Representative in Tennessee. He represented District 10, Hamblen County. Biography John Litz hold a B.S. degree in Agriculture from t ...
. As determined by DNC rules, Tennessee was allowed three additional members, elected by the Tennessee Democratic Executive Committee for a four-year term. National party rules call for elections to be held during the calendar year in which a Democratic National Convention is held. The Tennessee delegation is expected to represent Tennessee on all matters before the committee.


Responsibilities of the National Committee

* Electing the National Party Chair and other National Party Officers * Issuing the call to the national convention * Conducting the party's presidential campaign * Formulating and disseminating statements of party policy * Setting the DNC's budget and conducting all other business


Issues


Children and families

Political issues include infant mortality in Memphis, which sports one of the country's highest rates. During the
111th Congress The 111th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011. It began during the last weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with th ...
Congressman
Steve Cohen Steve, Steven or Stephen Cohen may refer to: Sportspeople * Stephan Cohen (born 1971), French pocket billiards player * Steve Cohen (gymnast) (born 1946), American Olympic gymnast *Steve Cohen (judoka) (born 1955), American judoka and Olympian *Ste ...
authorized a resolution that passed the House. This resolution urged a stronger national commitment to ending infant mortality. H.R 3962, the
Affordable Health Care for America Act The Affordable Health Care for America Act (or HR 3962) was a bill that was crafted by the United States House of Representatives of the 111th United States Congress on October 29, 2009. The bill was sponsored by Representative Charles Rangel. ...
includes the Newborn Act. This act would create 15 national pilot programs in cities across the nation like Memphis. The act would provide resources for more research and educational programs aimed at helping women get prenatal care during pregnancy and delivery. Another issue is the reform of foster care. Congressman Jim Cooper serves on the board of the
Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) is an American non-partisan, non-profit organization "dedicated to raising awareness about the millions of children around the world in need of permanent, safe, and loving families and to el ...
(CCAI) in order to try to improve conditions for foster children.


Health care

Tennessee Democrats sponsored the Medicare Information Act. This act makes sure that every taxpayer receives information on their Medicare contributions.


Energy and environment

TDP asserts that US energy policies pose economic, national security and environmental threats. It believes that the US is too dependent on foreign oil. Cooper claimed that instead of sending money overseas to countries we are unfriendly with, we should consider other options. Tennessee Democrats supported the
Endangered Species Act The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA or "The Act"; 16 U.S.C. ยง 1531 et seq.) is the primary law in the United States for protecting imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of ec ...
, the
Clean Water Protection Act The Clean Water Protection Act () was a bill introduced in the 111th United States Congress via the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It proposed to rede ...
and the Clean Air Act. Others include: the 10 Million Solar Roofs Act, American Clean Energy and Security Act, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Radioactive Import Deterrence Act, Grand Canyon Water Sheds Protection Act, Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act, the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act, the Safe Markets Development Act, the Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance Program Act, and the America's Red Rock Wilderness Act.


National security

Tennessee Democrats believe in a strong national defense supported by necessary resources. National security policies that Tennessee Democrats have approved of include, the Panel on Defense and Acquisition Reform, which has investigated budget overruns in weapons procurement. This work helped to enact the Weapons Acquisition Reform Act of 2009. Tennessee Democrats support the National Urban Search and Rescue System Act. This act combines the authorization of the National Urban Search and Rescue program and put its authority in one section of the Stafford Act. Doing so would help to make sure that Urban Search and Rescue can efficiently respond to a wide range of national disasters. The bill provides Urban Search and Rescue Task Force members with uniform
workers compensation Workers' compensation or workers' comp is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue his or her emp ...
and tort liability protection under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.


Transportation

Tennessee Democrats supported the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Others include the American Coastal Waters and Shorelines Protection Act, which would ban foreign vessels from oil drilling activities in American coastal waters. The Critical Infrastructure Earthquake Preparedness Act directs the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to create a grant program that will improve the ability of trauma center hospitals and airports to withstand earthquakes.


Education

Since the end of World War II, education has been a top priority for Tennessee state government. Education is typically the highest priority of candidates in legislative races. Decisions on education at the state level affect more people, create more emotion, and have greater long term political consequences. Education in Tennessee (including pension and health care benefits) is the largest segment of the state budget.


Officials


Members of Congress

The Tennessee Democratic Party holds one of the state's nine
U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
seats.


Statewide offices

* None


Legislative leaders

* Senate Minority Leader:
Jeff Yarbro Jeff Yarbro (born February 16, 1977) is an American attorney and politician from Tennessee. A member of the Democratic Party, he has represented District 21 in the Tennessee Senate since 2015, and has been the Minority Leader of the chamber since ...
*Minority Caucus Chair:
Raumesh Akbari Raumesh Aleza Akbari (''ruh-MESH'' ''ack-BERRY'') (born April 14, 1984) is an American politician and member of the Tennessee Senate for the 29th district since 2019. She was formerly a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives for the 91 ...
* House Minority Leader:
Karen Camper Karen D. Camper (born January 15, 1958) is an American politician and a Democratic member of the Tennessee House of Representatives representing District 87 since her special election March 31, 2008 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Gary ...
*Assistant House Minority Leader: Harold M. Love Jr. *Minority Caucus Chair:
Vincent B. Dixie Vincent Dixie (born August 20, 1973) is an American businessman, politician, and a Democratic member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing District 54 since November 2018. Dixie is one of 32 freshman members of the 111th Tennes ...
*Minority Caucus Vice Chair: Bob Freeman *House Minority Whip:
Jason Powell Jason Powell is an American politician. A Democrat, he is a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives. He has served as the representative for State House District 53 since 2013. Tennessee's State House District 53 is located at Davidso ...
*Minority Floor Leader:
Bill Beck William M. H. Beck (January 3, 1900 โ€“ March 5, 1965) was an American football and baseball coach. He served as the head coach of the Rhode Island Rams football team in 1941 and then again from 1946 through 1949, compiling a record of 12โ€“22โ€ ...
*Minority Caucus Secretary:
London Lamar London Lamar (born December 29, 1990) is an American politician. She is a member of the Democratic Party and a member of the Tennessee Senate representing district 33 since 2022. She was previously a member of the Tennessee House of Representa ...
*Minority Caucus Treasurer:
Jesse Chism Jesse Chism (born March 4, 1980) is an American politician. He is a Democrat representing District 85 in the Tennessee House of Representatives The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the ...


Party leadership

* Chair โ€“ Hendrell Remus * Vice Chair โ€“ Barbara Wagner * Treasurer โ€“ Carol V. Abney * Secretary โ€“ Pamela Weston * Senate Caucus -
Raumesh Akbari Raumesh Aleza Akbari (''ruh-MESH'' ''ack-BERRY'') (born April 14, 1984) is an American politician and member of the Tennessee Senate for the 29th district since 2019. She was formerly a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives for the 91 ...
* House Caucus - Vincent Dixie


Footnotes


External links

* {{U.S. Democratic Party state parties Democratic Party (United States) by state
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...
1826 establishments in Tennessee