Lamar Alexander
Encyclopedia
Andrew Lamar Alexander (born July 3, 1940) is the senior United States Senator
from Tennessee
and Conference Chair of the Republican Party
. He was previously the 45th Governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, United States Secretary of Education
from 1991 to 1993 under President
George H. W. Bush
and candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination in 1996 and 2000.
, where he was raised, to Genevra Floreine (née Rankin) and Andrew Lamar Alexander. In high school he was elected Governor of Tennessee Boys State. Alexander graduated with a B.A. from Vanderbilt University
where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Chi
Fraternity in 1962 and from the New York University School of Law
in 1965. After graduating from law school, Alexander clerked for United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
judge John Minor Wisdom
in New Orleans from 1965 to 1966.
In 1969 Alexander married Honey Buhler, who grew up in Victoria, Texas
, and graduated from Smith College
of Massachusetts. They had met during a softball game for Senate
staff members; he was then a staffer for Senator Howard Baker
of Tennessee
while she worked for Senator John Tower
of Texas. Together they have four children: Drew, Leslee, Kathryn, and Will.
He is also a classical and country pianist. Alexander got to put these talents on display in April 2007 when he played piano on singer Patti Page
's re-recording of her 1950 hit "Tennessee Waltz." He appeared on the record at the invitation of record executive Mike Curb
. Alexander and Page then performed the song live at an April 4 fundraiser for his Senatorial re-election campaign in Nashville
's Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
He is a member of Sons of the Revolution.
. While a staffer, he was briefly roommates with future U.S. Senator Trent Lott
. In 1969, he worked for Bryce Harlow
, President Richard Nixon
's executive assistant. In 1970 he moved back to Tennessee, serving as campaign manager for Memphis dentist Winfield Dunn
's successful gubernatorial bid.
Thanks to his successful tenure as Dunn's campaign manager, Alexander received the Republican nomination for governor of Tennessee in 1974. He faced Democrat
Ray Blanton
, a former congressman and unsuccessful 1972 Senate candidate. Blanton attacked Alexander for his service under Nixon, who had resigned in disgrace several months earlier. He also portrayed Alexander as being too distant from average Tennesseans, even though Alexander was the son of teachers. Blanton would win the election 56%–44%.
In 1974, TIME magazine named Alexander one of the 200 Faces of the Future.
In 1977, Alexander once again worked in Baker's Washington office following Baker's election as Senate Minority Leader.
had been amended in early 1978 to allow a governor to succeed himself, Blanton chose not to seek re-election, due to a number of scandals. Alexander once again ran for governor, and made a name for himself by walking 1000 miles (1,609.3 km) across the state wearing a red and black plaid shirt. He defeated Knoxville
banker Jake Butcher
in the November election.
In early 1979, a furor ensued over pardon
s made by Blanton. Since the state constitution is somewhat vague on when a governor must be sworn in, several political leaders from both parties, including Lieutenant Governor
John S. Wilder
and State House
Speaker Ned McWherter
, arranged for Alexander to be sworn in three days earlier than the traditional inauguration day. Wilder later called the move "impeachment
Tennessee-style."
Alexander made history by becoming the first Tennessee governor reelected to a second 4-year term (after the 1978 amendment, see above) by defeating Knoxville mayor Randy Tyree
in the 1982 election, carrying almost 70% of Knox County
. Since that time, every Tennessee Governor has been elected to consecutive terms. During his second term, he served as chairman of the National Governors Association
from 1985 to 1986. After opting out of the 1984 U.S. Senate contest for the open seat of retiring Majority Leader Howard Baker
, Alexander was constitutionally ineligible for a third term and stepped down from the governorship in January 1987.
(1988–1991), and United States Secretary of Education
(1991–1993). As Education Secretary, he sparked controversy after he approved Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools
(TRACS) to accredit schools
despite an advisory panel that repeatedly recommended against it in 1991 and 1987. In 1993, Steve Levicoff
published a book-length critical discussion of TRACS and Alexander's decision in When the TRACS Stop Short.
In 1987, he helped found Corporate Child Care Management, Inc. (now known as Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc.), a company that via a merger is now the nation's largest provider of worksite day care. In his 2005 U.S. Senate financial disclosure report, he listed personal ownership of BFAM (Bright Horizons Family Solutions) stock valued (at that time) between $1 million and $5 million dollars.
He taught about the American character as a faculty member at Harvard University
's Kennedy School of Government.
He also made two unsuccessful runs for President of the United States, in the 1996
and 2000
election cycles. In 1996, he finished third in both the Iowa caucus
and New Hampshire primary
and dropped out before the Super Tuesday
primaries. After dropping out of the race, Alexander took an advisory role in the Dole
/Kemp
campaign. His second candidacy, in which he traveled around the U.S. in a Ford Explorer
, eschewing a campaign bus
or plane, lasted less than six months, being announced March 9, 1999, and withdrawn August 16, 1999 (after a poor showing in the Ames Straw Poll
), both times in Nashville
. An article in The New York Times
during this period comments that Alexander's "bitter belief that party's nominating process is being short-circuited by big money and big media has become [his] consuming preoccupation," referring to the Republican Party.
Despite vowing to never again return to elective office, he was nevertheless persuaded by the White House
to run for the open seat of retiring Senator Fred Thompson
in 2002. Seen as a moderate Republican by Tennessee standards, his candidacy was vigorously opposed by conservatives who supported Congressman Ed Bryant
, who had become one of the House managers during the 1998 impeachment of President Bill Clinton
. Alexander was better-funded and armed with more prominent endorsements, winning by a closer-than-expected margin over Bryant in the primary. Democrats
had high hopes of recovering the seat with their candidate, Nashville
Congressman Bob Clement
, a member of a prominent political family. Alexander was successful in defeating Clement in the general election that year. With his election to the U.S. Senate, he became the first Tennessean to be popularly elected both governor and senator. At 62, Alexander also became the oldest elected freshman U.S. Senator from Tennessee since Democrat Lawrence D. Tyson in 1924.
recommendations, noting that he believes Bush will be viewed as a Truman-esque figure if he implements the Group's recommendations. Alexander has, however, opposed most efforts in the Senate to bring an end to the Iraq War or reduce the number of troops in Iraq, voting, for example, against an amendment to a bill that would have required that soldiers be given minimum periods of rest before being redeployed to Iraq.
supporters, Lamar Alexander was one of 8 Republicans to cross the aisle and vote for confirmation of Harold Hongju Koh
, a gun control advocate, as Legal Adviser to the State Department.
.
, was named in his honor partially because of his support in the Senate for scientific research funding.
in December 2009, and he voted against the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
.
, Alexander is one of the most bipartisan Republican members of the Senate. According to National Journal
’s 2009 Vote Ratings, he was ranked as the 32nd most conservative member in the Senate.
's Minority Whip in the Senate during the 110th Congress. Even though he was seen as the preferred choice of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
and the Bush Administration, he lost the election to former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott
by one vote (25–24).
Alexander would get a second shot at entering his party's leadership a year later when Lott announced his intent to resign from the Senate by the end of 2007. Sen. Jon Kyl
of Arizona, then Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference
, ran for Whip and was elected without opposition. With the Conference Chair vacant, Alexander announced that he would seek the position. He would go on to defeat Sen. Richard Burr
of North Carolina by a margin of 31–16.
Alexander was favored throughout the entire campaign, due to his long history in Tennessee politics and a disorganized Democratic opposition. His rivals were former state Democratic Party Chairman Bob Tuke
, who won a heated primary, and Libertarian candidate Daniel T. Lewis
.
Alexander won reelection in a landslide, taking 65 percent of the vote to Tuke's 32 percent. Alexander also carried all but one of Tennessee's 95 counties; he lost only in majority-black Haywood County in western Tennessee. He won the normally Democratic strongholds of Davidson
and Shelby
counties—home to Nashville and Memphis
, respectively. Alexander also benefited from the coattails of John McCain
's solid victory statewide in the Presidential race.
(Republican primaries):
Republican Senate Minority Whip
Senate Republican Conference Chairman:
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and Conference Chair of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. He was previously the 45th Governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, United States Secretary of Education
United States Secretary of Education
The United States Secretary of Education is the head of the Department of Education. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet, and 16th in line of United States presidential line of succession...
from 1991 to 1993 under President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
and candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination in 1996 and 2000.
Early and personal life
Alexander was born in Maryville, TennesseeMaryville, Tennessee
Maryville is the county seat of Blount County, Tennessee, in the Southeastern United States. The city is located south of Knoxville. Maryville's population was 27,258 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Knoxville Metropolitan Area. Maryville has received a number of accolades for its...
, where he was raised, to Genevra Floreine (née Rankin) and Andrew Lamar Alexander. In high school he was elected Governor of Tennessee Boys State. Alexander graduated with a B.A. from Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
Fraternity in 1962 and from the New York University School of Law
New York University School of Law
The New York University School of Law is the law school of New York University. Established in 1835, the school offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in law, and is located in Greenwich Village, in the New York City borough of Manhattan....
in 1965. After graduating from law school, Alexander clerked for United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Louisiana* Middle District of Louisiana...
judge John Minor Wisdom
John Minor Wisdom
John Minor Wisdom , one of the "Fifth Circuit Four", and a liberal Republican from Louisiana, was a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit during the 1950s and 1960s, when that court became known for a series of decisions crucial in advancing the civil rights of...
in New Orleans from 1965 to 1966.
In 1969 Alexander married Honey Buhler, who grew up in Victoria, Texas
Victoria, Texas
Victoria is a city in and the seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 60,603 at the 2000 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 at the 2000 census,...
, and graduated from Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
of Massachusetts. They had met during a softball game for Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
staff members; he was then a staffer for Senator Howard Baker
Howard Baker
Howard Henry Baker, Jr. is a former Senate Majority Leader, Republican U.S. Senator from Tennessee, White House Chief of Staff, and a former United States Ambassador to Japan.Known in Washington, D.C...
of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
while she worked for Senator John Tower
John Tower
John Goodwin Tower was the first Republican United States senator from Texas since Reconstruction. He served from 1961 until his retirement in January 1985, after which time he was the chairman of the Reagan-appointed Tower Commission that investigated the Iran-Contra Affair. He was George H. W...
of Texas. Together they have four children: Drew, Leslee, Kathryn, and Will.
He is also a classical and country pianist. Alexander got to put these talents on display in April 2007 when he played piano on singer Patti Page
Patti Page
Clara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records...
's re-recording of her 1950 hit "Tennessee Waltz." He appeared on the record at the invitation of record executive Mike Curb
Mike Curb
Michael Curb is an American musician, record company executive, NASCAR and IRL race car owner. A Republican, he served as the 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California from 1979-1983 under Democratic Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr...
. Alexander and Page then performed the song live at an April 4 fundraiser for his Senatorial re-election campaign in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
's Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
He is a member of Sons of the Revolution.
Political career
In 1967, Alexander worked as a legislative assistant for Senator Howard BakerHoward Baker
Howard Henry Baker, Jr. is a former Senate Majority Leader, Republican U.S. Senator from Tennessee, White House Chief of Staff, and a former United States Ambassador to Japan.Known in Washington, D.C...
. While a staffer, he was briefly roommates with future U.S. Senator Trent Lott
Trent Lott
Chester Trent Lott, Sr. , is a former United States Senator from Mississippi and has served in numerous leadership positions in the House of Representatives and the Senate....
. In 1969, he worked for Bryce Harlow
Bryce Harlow
Bryce Harlow was a congressional staff member, army officer, and businessman.He was born in 1916 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Harlow graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1938. Harlow then went to Washington, D.C., where he served on Capitol Hill as assistant librarian of the U.S. House of...
, President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's executive assistant. In 1970 he moved back to Tennessee, serving as campaign manager for Memphis dentist Winfield Dunn
Winfield Dunn
Bryant Winfield Culberson Dunn was the 43rd Governor of Tennessee, from 1971 to 1975.-Biography:Dunn was born in Meridian, Mississippi. He graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1950 with a B.B.A., and from the University of Tennessee Medical Units in Memphis in 1955 with a D.D.S. Dunn...
's successful gubernatorial bid.
Thanks to his successful tenure as Dunn's campaign manager, Alexander received the Republican nomination for governor of Tennessee in 1974. He faced Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Ray Blanton
Ray Blanton
Leonard Ray Blanton was the 44th Governor of Tennessee from 1975 to 1979. Blanton's administration was rife with corruption.-Early life and Congress:...
, a former congressman and unsuccessful 1972 Senate candidate. Blanton attacked Alexander for his service under Nixon, who had resigned in disgrace several months earlier. He also portrayed Alexander as being too distant from average Tennesseans, even though Alexander was the son of teachers. Blanton would win the election 56%–44%.
In 1974, TIME magazine named Alexander one of the 200 Faces of the Future.
In 1977, Alexander once again worked in Baker's Washington office following Baker's election as Senate Minority Leader.
Governor of Tennessee
Even though the Tennessee State ConstitutionTennessee State Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Tennessee defines the form, structure, activities, character, and fundamental rules of the U.S. State of Tennessee....
had been amended in early 1978 to allow a governor to succeed himself, Blanton chose not to seek re-election, due to a number of scandals. Alexander once again ran for governor, and made a name for himself by walking 1000 miles (1,609.3 km) across the state wearing a red and black plaid shirt. He defeated Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
banker Jake Butcher
Jake Butcher
Jacob Franklin "Jake" Butcher was a U.S. banker and politician who built a financial empire in East Tennessee, was the Democratic Party nominee for governor of Tennessee in 1978 and the primary promoter of the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee, and who lost his business and his personal...
in the November election.
In early 1979, a furor ensued over pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
s made by Blanton. Since the state constitution is somewhat vague on when a governor must be sworn in, several political leaders from both parties, including Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee
The Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee is the Speaker of the Tennessee Senate and first in line in the succession to the office of Governor of Tennessee in the event of the death, resignation, or removal from office through impeachment and conviction of the Governor of the U.S...
John S. Wilder
John S. Wilder
John Shelton Wilder was an American politician who was a Tennessee state senator from 1959 to 1961 and again from 1967 to 2009 and the 48th lieutenant governor of Tennessee from 1971 to 2007, possibly the longest time anyone has served as Lieutenant Governor or a similar position in the history of...
and State House
Tennessee House of Representatives
The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional requirements:...
Speaker Ned McWherter
Ned McWherter
Ned Ray McWherter was an American politician who served as the 46th Governor of Tennessee from 1987 to 1995. He was a Democrat.McWherter was born in Palmersville, Weakley County, Tennessee...
, arranged for Alexander to be sworn in three days earlier than the traditional inauguration day. Wilder later called the move "impeachment
Impeachment
Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....
Tennessee-style."
Alexander made history by becoming the first Tennessee governor reelected to a second 4-year term (after the 1978 amendment, see above) by defeating Knoxville mayor Randy Tyree
Randy Tyree
Randall "Randy" Tyree is a Tennessee politician who served as mayor of Knoxville from 1976 to 1983 and was the Democratic candidate for Governor in 1982.-Biography:...
in the 1982 election, carrying almost 70% of Knox County
Knox County, Tennessee
Knox County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its 2007 population was estimated at 423,874 by the United States Census Bureau. Its county seat is Knoxville, as it has been since the creation of the county. The county is at the geographical center of the Great Valley of East Tennessee...
. Since that time, every Tennessee Governor has been elected to consecutive terms. During his second term, he served as chairman of the National Governors Association
National Governors Association
The National Governors Association , founded in 1908 as the National Governors' Conference, is funded primarily by state dues, federal grants and contracts and private contributions. NGA represents the governors of the fifty U.S. states and five U.S. territories The National Governors Association...
from 1985 to 1986. After opting out of the 1984 U.S. Senate contest for the open seat of retiring Majority Leader Howard Baker
Howard Baker
Howard Henry Baker, Jr. is a former Senate Majority Leader, Republican U.S. Senator from Tennessee, White House Chief of Staff, and a former United States Ambassador to Japan.Known in Washington, D.C...
, Alexander was constitutionally ineligible for a third term and stepped down from the governorship in January 1987.
After governorship
Moving with his family to Australia for a time, he would soon return to Tennessee and became the president of the University of TennesseeUniversity of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
(1988–1991), and United States Secretary of Education
United States Secretary of Education
The United States Secretary of Education is the head of the Department of Education. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet, and 16th in line of United States presidential line of succession...
(1991–1993). As Education Secretary, he sparked controversy after he approved Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools
Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools
The Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools is a U.S. national educational accreditation agency for Christian colleges, universities, and seminaries...
(TRACS) to accredit schools
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
despite an advisory panel that repeatedly recommended against it in 1991 and 1987. In 1993, Steve Levicoff
Steve Levicoff
Steve F. Levicoff is an American writer and former educator best known for his writings, in books and online, on adult higher education and distance learning, and his practical guides to law for evangelists and Christian counselors...
published a book-length critical discussion of TRACS and Alexander's decision in When the TRACS Stop Short.
In 1987, he helped found Corporate Child Care Management, Inc. (now known as Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc.), a company that via a merger is now the nation's largest provider of worksite day care. In his 2005 U.S. Senate financial disclosure report, he listed personal ownership of BFAM (Bright Horizons Family Solutions) stock valued (at that time) between $1 million and $5 million dollars.
He taught about the American character as a faculty member at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
's Kennedy School of Government.
He also made two unsuccessful runs for President of the United States, in the 1996
United States presidential election, 1996
The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee and the Republican national ticket of former Senator Bob Dole of Kansas for President and former Housing Secretary Jack...
and 2000
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
election cycles. In 1996, he finished third in both the Iowa caucus
Iowa caucus
The Iowa caucuses are an electoral event in which residents of the U.S. state of Iowa meet in precinct caucuses in all of Iowa's 1784 precincts and elect delegates to the corresponding county conventions. There are 99 counties in Iowa and thus 99 conventions...
and New Hampshire primary
New Hampshire primary
The New Hampshire primary is the first in a series of nationwide political party primary elections held in the United States every four years , as part of the process of choosing the Democratic and Republican nominees for the presidential elections to be held the subsequent November.Although only a...
and dropped out before the Super Tuesday
Super Tuesday
In the United States, Super Tuesday, in general, refers to the Tuesday in February or March of a presidential election year when the greatest number of states hold primary elections to select delegates to national conventions at which each party's presidential candidates are officially nominated...
primaries. After dropping out of the race, Alexander took an advisory role in the Dole
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
/Kemp
Jack Kemp
Jack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st...
campaign. His second candidacy, in which he traveled around the U.S. in a Ford Explorer
Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer is a sport-utility vehicle sold in North America and built by the Ford Motor Company since 1990, as a replacement for the smaller but related Ford Bronco II. It is manufactured in Chicago, Illinois...
, eschewing a campaign bus
Campaign bus
A campaign bus is a bus used as both a vehicle and a center of operations in a political campaign. The modern use of campaign buses is often calculated to bring to mind whistlestop train tour tours that political candidates had historically used to reach large numbers of voters while campaigning...
or plane, lasted less than six months, being announced March 9, 1999, and withdrawn August 16, 1999 (after a poor showing in the Ames Straw Poll
Ames Straw Poll
The Ames Straw Poll is a presidential straw poll taken by Iowa Republicans. It occurs in Ames, Iowa on the campus of Iowa State University, on a Saturday in August of years in an election cycle in which the Republican presidential nomination seems to be undecided...
), both times in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. An article in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
during this period comments that Alexander's "bitter belief that party's nominating process is being short-circuited by big money and big media has become [his] consuming preoccupation," referring to the Republican Party.
Senate career
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
to run for the open seat of retiring Senator Fred Thompson
Fred Dalton Thompson
Fred Dalton Thompson , is an American politician, actor, attorney, lobbyist, columnist, and radio host. He served as a Republican U.S...
in 2002. Seen as a moderate Republican by Tennessee standards, his candidacy was vigorously opposed by conservatives who supported Congressman Ed Bryant
Ed Bryant
Edward Glenn Bryant, usually known as Ed Bryant, , American politician, is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee . Born in Jackson, Tennessee, he earned his B.A. in 1970 and J.D. in 1972, both from the University of Mississippi. As a student he was...
, who had become one of the House managers during the 1998 impeachment of President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. Alexander was better-funded and armed with more prominent endorsements, winning by a closer-than-expected margin over Bryant in the primary. Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
had high hopes of recovering the seat with their candidate, Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
Congressman Bob Clement
Bob Clement
Robert Nelson "Bob" Clement is a Tennessee politician and a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life:Clement is the son of former Governor Frank G. Clement...
, a member of a prominent political family. Alexander was successful in defeating Clement in the general election that year. With his election to the U.S. Senate, he became the first Tennessean to be popularly elected both governor and senator. At 62, Alexander also became the oldest elected freshman U.S. Senator from Tennessee since Democrat Lawrence D. Tyson in 1924.
Iraq
Before the Iraq War began, Alexander supported sending troops to Iraq and expressed his agreement with President Bush that Iraq must be dealt with immediately. A year after the war began, Alexander stated that the Iraq War had provided "lessons" to the nation, but went on to say that American troops should not be withdrawn, saying "It would be even worse if we left before the job was done." In 2007, Alexander touted implementing the Iraq Study GroupIraq Study Group
The Iraq Study group , was a ten-person bipartisan panel appointed on March 15, 2006, by the United States Congress, that was charged with assessing the situation in Iraq and the US-led Iraq War and making policy recommendations...
recommendations, noting that he believes Bush will be viewed as a Truman-esque figure if he implements the Group's recommendations. Alexander has, however, opposed most efforts in the Senate to bring an end to the Iraq War or reduce the number of troops in Iraq, voting, for example, against an amendment to a bill that would have required that soldiers be given minimum periods of rest before being redeployed to Iraq.
Gun control and gun rights
On June 25, 2009, much to the chagrin of conservatives and 2nd AmendmentSecond Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second...
supporters, Lamar Alexander was one of 8 Republicans to cross the aisle and vote for confirmation of Harold Hongju Koh
Harold Hongju Koh
Harold Hongju Koh is an Korean American lawyer and legal scholar. He currently serves as the Legal Adviser of the Department of State. He was nominated to his current position by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2009, and confirmed by the Senate on June 25, 2009.In public service, Koh...
, a gun control advocate, as Legal Adviser to the State Department.
Supreme Court advice and consent
Again breaking ranks with Republicans and conservatives in the Senate, on July 30, 2009 Alexander announced his support for the nomination of Supreme Court nominee Sonia SotomayorSonia Sotomayor
Sonia Maria Sotomayor is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since August 2009. Sotomayor is the Court's 111th justice, its first Hispanic justice, and its third female justice....
.
Science
In 2007, a species of springtail, Cosberella lamaralexanderiCosberella lamaralexanderi
Cosberella lamaralexanderi, or the Lamar Alexander springtail, is a species of springtail native to the southern Appalachian Mountains of the United States. It was discovered in 2006 by Dr. Earnest Bernard in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He named it in honor of U.S...
, was named in his honor partially because of his support in the Senate for scientific research funding.
Health care reform
On July 15, 2009, Alexander voted against President Obama's health care reform bill in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Alexander stated that he opposed the bill because he says it will result in higher state taxes, an increased federal debt, government-run health care, and Medicare cuts, and instead supports a different approach to reform. Alexander voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care ActPatient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
in December 2009, and he voted against the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 is a law that was enacted by the 111th United States Congress, by means of the reconciliation process, in order to amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act...
.
Cross the aisle
According to the 2009 annual vote studies by Congressional QuarterlyCongressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
, Alexander is one of the most bipartisan Republican members of the Senate. According to National Journal
National Journal
National Journal is a nonpartisan American weekly magazine that reports on the current political environment and emerging political and policy trends. National Journal was first published in 1969. Times Mirror owned the magazine from 1986 to 1997, when it was purchased by David G. Bradley...
’s 2009 Vote Ratings, he was ranked as the 32nd most conservative member in the Senate.
Committee assignments
- Committee on AppropriationsUnited States Senate Committee on AppropriationsThe United States Senate Committee on Appropriations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate....
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Energy and Water DevelopmentUnited States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water DevelopmentThe U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development is one of twelve subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations.-Jurisdiction:...
- Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
- Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies (Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
- Committee on the BudgetUnited States Senate Committee on the BudgetThe United States Senate Committee on Budget was established by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. It is responsible for drafting Congress's annual budget plan and monitoring action on the budget for the Federal Government. The committee has jurisdiction over the...
- Committee on Environment and Public WorksUnited States Senate Committee on Environment and Public WorksThe United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works is responsible for dealing with matters related to the environment and infrastructure.-Members, 112th Congress:...
- Subcommittee on Children's HealthUnited States Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Children's HealthThe U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Children's Health is one of seven subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.-Jurisdiction:According to the Committee's website:-Members, 111th Congress:...
(Ranking Member) - Subcommittee on Water and WildlifeUnited States Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Water and WildlifeThe U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife is one of seven subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.-Jurisdiction:According to the Committee's website:-Members, 111th Congress:...
- Subcommittee on Children's Health
- Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsUnited States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsThe United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions generally considers matters relating to health, education, labor, and pensions...
- Subcommittee on Children and FamiliesUnited States Senate Health Subcommittee on Children and FamiliesThe Senate Health Subcommittee on Children and Families is one of the three subcommittees within the Senate Committee on Health-Jurisdiction:The Subcommittee's jurisdiction includes Head Start, the Family Medical Leave Act, child care and child support, and other issues involving children, youth,...
(Ranking Member) - Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging
- Subcommittee on Children and Families
- Committee on Rules and AdministrationUnited States Senate Committee on Rules and AdministrationThe Senate Committee on Rules and Administration is responsible for the rules of the United States Senate, with administration of congressional buildings, and with credentials and qualifications of members of the Senate, including responsibility for dealing with contested elections.The committee...
Caucus memberships
- International Conservation CaucusUnited States Congressional International Conservation CaucusThe U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus is a bipartisan congressional organization that was founded in September 2003 with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for...
- Sportsmen's Caucus
- Tennessee Valley Authority Caucus (Co-Chair)
Republican leadership
In late 2006, Alexander announced that he had secured the requisite number of votes to become the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
's Minority Whip in the Senate during the 110th Congress. Even though he was seen as the preferred choice of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
Mitch McConnell
Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Kentucky and the Republican Minority Leader.- Early life, education, and military service :...
and the Bush Administration, he lost the election to former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott
Trent Lott
Chester Trent Lott, Sr. , is a former United States Senator from Mississippi and has served in numerous leadership positions in the House of Representatives and the Senate....
by one vote (25–24).
Alexander would get a second shot at entering his party's leadership a year later when Lott announced his intent to resign from the Senate by the end of 2007. Sen. Jon Kyl
Jon Kyl
Jon Llewellyn Kyl is the junior U.S. Senator from Arizona and the Senate Minority Whip, the second-highest position in the Republican Senate leadership. In 2010 he was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world for his persuasive role in the Senate.The son...
of Arizona, then Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference
Republican Conference Chairman of the United States Senate
The Republican conference of the United States Senate chooses a conference chairperson. The office was created in the mid-19th century with the founding of the Republican party...
, ran for Whip and was elected without opposition. With the Conference Chair vacant, Alexander announced that he would seek the position. He would go on to defeat Sen. Richard Burr
Richard Burr
Richard Mauze Burr is the senior United States Senator from North Carolina and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, Burr represented North Carolina's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives....
of North Carolina by a margin of 31–16.
2008 Re-election campaign
In April 2007, Alexander announced he would run for re-election to the Senate in 2008.Alexander was favored throughout the entire campaign, due to his long history in Tennessee politics and a disorganized Democratic opposition. His rivals were former state Democratic Party Chairman Bob Tuke
Bob Tuke
Robert Dudley "Bob" Tuke was the Democratic nominee for the 2008 United States Senate election in Tennessee, having won the Democratic primary in August...
, who won a heated primary, and Libertarian candidate Daniel T. Lewis
Daniel T. Lewis
Daniel Towers Lewis is an educator and Libertarian activist from Nashville, Tennessee. He was previously the Secretary of the Hamilton County Libertarian Party in Chattanooga, Tennessee and is currently the Chair of the Libertarian Party of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County-Early and...
.
Alexander won reelection in a landslide, taking 65 percent of the vote to Tuke's 32 percent. Alexander also carried all but one of Tennessee's 95 counties; he lost only in majority-black Haywood County in western Tennessee. He won the normally Democratic strongholds of Davidson
Davidson County, Tennessee
Davidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 626,681. Its county seat is Nashville.In 1963, the City of Nashville and the Davidson County government merged, so the county government is now known as the "Metropolitan Government of Nashville and...
and Shelby
Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
counties—home to Nashville and Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, respectively. Alexander also benefited from the coattails of John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
's solid victory statewide in the Presidential race.
Electoral history
United States presidential election, 1996United States presidential election, 1996
The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee and the Republican national ticket of former Senator Bob Dole of Kansas for President and former Housing Secretary Jack...
(Republican primaries):
- Bob DoleBob DoleRobert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
– 9,024,742 (58.82%) - Pat BuchananPat BuchananPatrick Joseph "Pat" Buchanan is an American paleoconservative political commentator, author, syndicated columnist, politician and broadcaster. Buchanan was a senior adviser to American Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan, and was an original host on CNN's Crossfire. He sought...
– 3,184,943 (20.76%) - Steve ForbesSteve ForbesMalcolm Stevenson "Steve" Forbes, Jr. is an American editor, publisher, and businessman. He is the editor-in-chief of business magazine Forbes as well as president and chief executive officer of its publisher, Forbes Inc. He was a Republican candidate in the U.S. Presidential primaries in 1996...
– 1,751,187 (11.41%) - Lamar Alexander – 495,590 (3.23%)
- Alan KeyesAlan KeyesAlan Lee Keyes is an American conservative political activist, author, former diplomat, and perennial candidate for public office. A doctoral graduate of Harvard University, Keyes began his diplomatic career in the U.S...
– 471,716 (3.08%) - Richard Lugar – 127,111 (0.83%)
- Unpledged delegates – 123,278 (0.80%)
- Phil GrammPhil GrammWilliam Philip "Phil" Gramm is an American economist and politician, who has served as a Democratic Congressman , a Republican Congressman and a Republican Senator from Texas...
– 71,456 (0.47%) - Bob DornanBob DornanRobert Kenneth "Bob" Dornan is a Republican and former member of the United States House of Representatives from California and a vocal advocate of pro-life and social conservative causes....
– 42,140 (0.28%) - Morry TaylorMorry TaylorMaurice "Morry" Taylor Jr. is the President and Chief executive officer of Titan International, a tire company. Taylor, nicknamed "the Grizz" for his bear-like gruffness, started in tool and die manufacturing before purchasing Titan Wheel International from Firestone.Taylor gained brief fame...
– 21,180 (0.14%)
Republican Senate Minority Whip
- Trent LottTrent LottChester Trent Lott, Sr. , is a former United States Senator from Mississippi and has served in numerous leadership positions in the House of Representatives and the Senate....
(MS) – 25 (51.02%) - Lamar Alexander (TN) – 24 (48.98%)
Senate Republican Conference Chairman:
- Lamar Alexander (TN) – 31 (65.96%)
- Richard BurrRichard BurrRichard Mauze Burr is the senior United States Senator from North Carolina and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, Burr represented North Carolina's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives....
(NC) – 16 (34.04%)
External links
- United States Senator Lamar Alexander official U.S. Senate site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...