Tennessee Secretary of State facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Secretary of State of Tennessee |
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Flag of the State of Tennessee
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Great Seal of the State of Tennessee
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 Tre Hargett since January 15, 2009 |
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| Department of State | |
| Appointer | Tennessee General Assembly |
| Term length | Four years |
| Constituting instrument | Tennessee State Constitution |
| Formation | 1792 |
| First holder | Daniel Smith |
| Website | Tennessee Secretary of State website |
The Tennessee Secretary of State is an important job in the state of Tennessee. This role was created by the state's main rulebook, the Tennessee State Constitution. The Secretary of State helps manage many daily tasks for the state government. The person holding this job right now is Tre Hargett.
Contents
How the Secretary of State Is Chosen
The Election Process
The Tennessee Constitution says that the Secretary of State is chosen for a four-year term. This choice is made by the General Assembly. The General Assembly is made up of all 99 members of the state House and all 33 members of the state Senate.
When they choose the Secretary of State, all 132 lawmakers meet together. This is called a "joint convention." To win, a person needs more than half of the votes, which is 67 votes. Usually, the political party with the most members in the General Assembly gets to choose their person for the job.
For a long time, the Secretary of State was almost always a Democrat. But in 2009, the Republicans gained more seats. Since then, a Republican has held the office. The election for Secretary of State happens at a different time than the election for the governor of Tennessee. It usually lines up with the election for the President of the United States.
Different from Other States
Tennessee's way of choosing its Secretary of State is special. In most other U.S. states, the Secretary of State is either voted for by everyone in the state or picked by the state's governor.
Also, in Tennessee, the Secretary of State is not next in line to become governor if something happens to the current governor. The leaders of the state Senate and House are the first two people who would take over.
The Secretary of State is one of only three "constitutional officers" in Tennessee, besides the governor. This means their job is directly mentioned in the state constitution. The other two officers, the State Treasurer and the Comptroller of the Treasury, are chosen for two-year terms. There is no limit on how many times someone can be elected to these jobs. The office of the Secretary of State is officially called the "Tennessee Department of State."
What the Secretary of State Does
Since the state lawmakers choose the Secretary of State, this office is seen as part of the lawmaking branch of government. It is not part of the executive branch, which is led by the governor.
The Secretary of State's office has many important duties:
- They help new businesses get started by officially registering them.
- They keep track of trademarks and service marks for businesses.
- They help manage all state elections.
- They publish the Tennessee Blue Book every two years. This book is an official guide to all parts of the Tennessee state government.
- They also publish other state documents, including all new laws passed by the General Assembly.
- They oversee groups that ask for donations for good causes.
- They manage the state library and archives.
- They help run the state's Economic Commission on Women.
To do all these jobs, the Tennessee Department of State has many staff members. The Secretary of State earns a good salary for their work.
A Look Back in History
Key Moments and People
Some historians believe that during the American Civil War, a Secretary of State named Edward H. East briefly became governor. This happened when Andrew Johnson, who was the military governor, became the Vice President of the United States. East was the highest-ranking state official left. However, the official Tennessee Blue Book does not list East as a governor.
Joe C. Carr served as Secretary of State three times. He held the job for a total of 27 years, making him the longest-serving person in that role. His wife even held the office for a short time while he was serving in the military during World War II.
Carr was also involved in a famous 1962 Supreme Court case called Baker v. Carr. As the Secretary of State, he was responsible for elections. The Supreme Court decided that voting districts for Congress and state lawmakers had to have about the same number of people. This idea is often called "one person, one vote." Carr's name was on the case, but it was really about the General Assembly's job to set the district lines.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the Secretary of State's office was in charge of giving out licenses for bingo games. There were some problems with how these licenses were given out. Because of this, bingo was made illegal in Tennessee. It is still illegal today, except for one special type of fundraising event for war veterans' groups.
The current Secretary of State, Tre Hargett, started his term in January 2009. Before this, he was a leader in the Tennessee House of Representatives.
Past Secretaries of State
Here is a list of the people who have served as Secretary of State in Tennessee:
| Image | Name | Term |
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| Daniel Smith (Territorial Secretary of Territory South of the River Ohio) |
1792–1796 | |
| William Maclin | 1796–1807 | |
| Robert Houston | 1807–1811 | |
| William Grainger Blount | 1811–1815 | |
| William Alexander | 1815–1818 | |
| Daniel Graham | 1818–1830 | |
| Thomas H. Fletcher | 1830–1832 | |
| Samuel G. Smith | 1832–1835 | |
| Luke Lea | 1835–1839 | |
| John S. Young | 1839–1847 | |
| W .B. A. Ramsey | 1847–1855 | |
| F. N. W. Burton | 1855–1859 | |
| J. E. R. Ray | 1859–1862 | |
| Edward H. East (appointed by Andrew Johnson, Military Governor of Tennessee) |
1862–1865 | |
| A. J. Fletcher | 1865–1870 | |
| T. H. Butler | 1870–1873 | |
| Charles N. Gibbs | 1873–1881 | |
| David A. Nunn | 1881–1885 | |
| John Allison | 1885–1889 | |
| Charles A. Miller | 1889–1893 | |
| William S. Morgan | 1893–1901 | |
| John W. Morton | 1901–1909 | |
| Hallum W. Goodloe | 1909–1913 | |
| R. R. Sneed | 1913–1917 | |
| Ike B. Stevens | 1917–1921 | |
| Ernest N. Hasten | 1921–1937 | |
| 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 | 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 | 1993–2009 | |
| Tre Hargett | 2009–present |
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See Also
