Amy Tuck
Encyclopedia
Amy Tuck was the 30th Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
. A Republican, she is only the second woman elected to statewide office in Mississippi and the first to have been re-elected.
in Oktibbeha County
in north central Mississippi, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science
and a Master of Public Administration
degree from the Mississippi State University
and a Juris Doctor
degree from Mississippi College School of Law
.
In 1990, she defeated five others to be elected to the Mississippi Senate to represent Choctaw
, Montgomery
, Oktibbeha
and Webster
counties. In 1995, Tuck ran for Secretary of State to fill the post of Dick Molpus
, who ran unsuccessfully for governor against Kirk Fordice
. She was narrowly defeated in the Democratic primary by Eric Clark, the eventual winner. Undeterred by the political setback, she ran for lieutenant governor in 1999 and defeated Bill Hawks
.
In 2002, just two years into her term having been elected as a Democrat, Tuck made national headlines when she switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. She cited philosophical differences with her former party on issues such as abortion, gay rights, civil justice reform, and congressional redistricting. In 2003, Tuck was re-elected with 61 percent of the vote, this time as a Republican. She defeated former Democratic state Senator Barbara Martin Blackmon.
Due to term limits, Tuck was ineligible to seek a third term as lieutenant governor in 2007.
On October 16, 2007, it was announced that Tuck will become a special assistant to the president at Mississippi State University
, her alma mater. Her appointment, which was approved by the state Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, was effective January 2008 once her official state duties were complete. In her new role at MSU, Tuck interacts with state, federal and private sector officials to facilitate the university's economic development
efforts, provide consultation on public policy
issues and interact with a variety of state, national and international organizations.
Phil Bryant won the 2007 election for Mississippi Lieutenant Goveror and succeeded Tuck in early 2008.
Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
The Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi is the second-highest ranking executive officer in Mississippi, right below the governor. The office of lieutenant governor was established when Mississippi became a state, abolished for a few decades in the first half of the 19th century, and restored later...
. A Republican, she is only the second woman elected to statewide office in Mississippi and the first to have been re-elected.
Biography
Tuck, a native of tiny MabenMaben, Mississippi
Maben is a town in Oktibbeha and Webster Counties in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The population was 803 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Maben is located at...
in Oktibbeha County
Oktibbeha County, Mississippi
-National protected areas:*Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge *Tombigbee National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 42,902 people, 15,945 households, and 9,264 families residing in the county. The population density was 94 people per square mile . There were 17,344 housing...
in north central Mississippi, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and a Master of Public Administration
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
degree from the Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
and a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from Mississippi College School of Law
Mississippi College School of Law
The Mississippi College School of Law is located in downtown Jackson, Mississippi. The law school started out as the Jackson School of Law in 1930, but was acquired by Mississippi College in 1975. The main campus of Mississippi College is located in Clinton, Mississippi.In December 2005, the school...
.
In 1990, she defeated five others to be elected to the Mississippi Senate to represent Choctaw
Choctaw County, Mississippi
-National protected areas:* Natchez Trace Parkway * Tombigbee National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,758 people, 3,686 households, and 2,668 families residing in the county. The population density was 23 people per square mile . There were 4,249 housing units at an...
, Montgomery
Montgomery County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 12,189 people, 4,690 households, and 3,367 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile . There were 5,402 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
, Oktibbeha
Oktibbeha County, Mississippi
-National protected areas:*Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge *Tombigbee National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 42,902 people, 15,945 households, and 9,264 families residing in the county. The population density was 94 people per square mile . There were 17,344 housing...
and Webster
Webster County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 10,294 people, 3,905 households, and 2,877 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile . There were 4,344 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile...
counties. In 1995, Tuck ran for Secretary of State to fill the post of Dick Molpus
Dick Molpus
Richard "Dick" Molpus is a former Democratic Party Secretary of State of Mississippi and President of The Molpus Woodlands Group, LLC , a timberland investment management organization headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi....
, who ran unsuccessfully for governor against Kirk Fordice
Kirk Fordice
Daniel Kirkwood "Kirk" Fordice, Jr. was a politician from the US state of Mississippi. He was the 61st Governor of Mississippi from January 14, 1992, until January 11, 2000.-Biography:...
. She was narrowly defeated in the Democratic primary by Eric Clark, the eventual winner. Undeterred by the political setback, she ran for lieutenant governor in 1999 and defeated Bill Hawks
Bill Hawks
William T. Hawks is an American politician and civil servant, and a businessman active in agriculture....
.
In 2002, just two years into her term having been elected as a Democrat, Tuck made national headlines when she switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. She cited philosophical differences with her former party on issues such as abortion, gay rights, civil justice reform, and congressional redistricting. In 2003, Tuck was re-elected with 61 percent of the vote, this time as a Republican. She defeated former Democratic state Senator Barbara Martin Blackmon.
Due to term limits, Tuck was ineligible to seek a third term as lieutenant governor in 2007.
On October 16, 2007, it was announced that Tuck will become a special assistant to the president at Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
, her alma mater. Her appointment, which was approved by the state Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, was effective January 2008 once her official state duties were complete. In her new role at MSU, Tuck interacts with state, federal and private sector officials to facilitate the university's economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
efforts, provide consultation on public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
issues and interact with a variety of state, national and international organizations.
Phil Bryant won the 2007 election for Mississippi Lieutenant Goveror and succeeded Tuck in early 2008.