Randy McNally

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Randy McNally
Republican Party
Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee
Tenure
2017 - Present
Term ends
2026
Years in position
9
Tennessee State Senate District 5
Tenure
1986 - Present
Term ends
2026
Years in position
40
Prior offices:
Tennessee House of Representatives
Years in office: 1978 - 1986
Compensation
Base salary
$33,060/year
Per diem
$379.44/day. Legislators living within 50 miles of the Capitol receive a reduced amount of $86 per day.
Elections and appointments
Last election
November 8, 2022
Appointed
January 10, 2017
Education
Bachelor's
Memphis State University, 1967
Personal
Religion
Christian: Catholic
Profession
Pharmacist
Contact
Official website
Official Facebook
Official X
Personal LinkedIn

Randy McNally (Republican Party) is a member of the Tennessee State Senate, representing District 5. He assumed office in 1986. His current term ends on November 3, 2026.

McNally (Republican Party) is also the Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee. He assumed office on January 10, 2017. His current term ends on November 3, 2026.

McNally was elected speaker of the Tennessee Senate on January 10, 2017. The speaker also serves as Tennessee's lieutenant governor. He was the second Republican to hold the position since the beginning of the 20th century.[1] The speaker appoints Senate officers such as clerks and the sergeant-at-arms, determines who sits on specific committees, and is the presiding officer of the Senate.[2]

McNally was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1944.[3][4] He earned dual bachelor's degrees in biology and zoology from the University of Memphis in 1967, and graduated from the University of Tennessee's School of Pharmacy in 1969.[5] He worked as a pharmacist for various local pharmacies before joining Methodist Medical Center, where he worked from 1979 until his retirement in 2010.[6]

McNally was first elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1978, and was subsequently elected to three more terms.[6] In 1986, McNally won an election to the state Senate for District 5. That same year, McNally assisted the Federal Bureau of Investigation in an undercover mission to expose illegal fundraising activities involving a local charity bingo operation.[7][8][9] In 2007, McNally became chair of the body's Finance Committee. He also served as chair of the Education Committee from 2001 to 2004.[6]

In 2016, McNally announced he would run to replace outgoing speaker Ron Ramsey (R). McNally said he wanted to continue Ramsey's work, which he said included "keeping the state in good fiscal condition, keeping taxes low, doing what we can to promote jobs in Tennessee."[10] In November that year, McNally was nominated unanimously by Republican Senators to be speaker.[11] He was officially elected speaker on January 10, 2017.[1]

In a 2025 news release, McNally wrote, "Tennessee has made remarkable progress over the last decade... But there is more work to do. With a new administration in Washington and a clear mandate for conservative governance both here in Tennessee and across the nation, Tennessee has a chance to truly lead."[12] In January that year, he voted in favor of universal school vouchers.[13] He also voted in favor of a bill providing grants to localities that enforce federal immigration law and creating penalties for officials who support sanctuary policies for individuals residing in the country without legal authorization.[14]

On February 26, 2026, McNally announced he would not run for re-election to the Tennessee State Senate District 5 in 2026.[15]

Biography

McNally was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1944. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Memphis in 1967 and his pharmacy degree from the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy in 1969. His professional experience includes working as a hospital pharmacist.

Political career

Below is a list of offices within Ballotpedia’s scope. Offices outside of that scope will not be listed. If an update is needed and the office is within our scope, please contact us.

McNally's political career includes the following offices:

Committee assignments

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, McNally served on the following committees:

2013-2014

In the 2013-2014 legislative session, McNally served on the following committees:

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, McNally served on these committees:

2009-2010

In the 2009-2010 legislative session, McNally served on these committees:

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.


Elections

2026

See also: Tennessee State Senate elections, 2026

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

General election

The primary will occur on August 6, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Republican primary election

There are no candidates on the ballot in the Republican primary at this time.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2022

See also: Tennessee State Senate elections, 2022

General election

General election for Tennessee State Senate District 5

Incumbent Randy McNally won election in the general election for Tennessee State Senate District 5 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Randy McNally
Randy McNally (R)
 
100.0
 
43,402

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 43,402
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

No Democratic candidates ran in the primary.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Tennessee State Senate District 5

Incumbent Randy McNally defeated Earle Segrest in the Republican primary for Tennessee State Senate District 5 on August 4, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Randy McNally
Randy McNally
 
83.7
 
12,965
Image of Earle Segrest
Earle Segrest
 
16.3
 
2,520

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 15,485
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2018

See also: Tennessee State Senate elections, 2018

General election

General election for Tennessee State Senate District 5

Incumbent Randy McNally defeated Stuart Starr in the general election for Tennessee State Senate District 5 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Randy McNally
Randy McNally (R)
 
71.8
 
48,336
Image of Stuart Starr
Stuart Starr (D)
 
28.2
 
18,948

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 67,284
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Tennessee State Senate District 5

Stuart Starr advanced from the Democratic primary for Tennessee State Senate District 5 on August 2, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Stuart Starr
Stuart Starr
 
100.0
 
6,303

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 6,303
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Tennessee State Senate District 5

Incumbent Randy McNally advanced from the Republican primary for Tennessee State Senate District 5 on August 2, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Randy McNally
Randy McNally
 
100.0
 
23,525

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 23,525
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2014

See also: Tennessee State Senate elections, 2014

Elections for 18 seats in the Tennessee State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 7, 2014. A general election took place on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 3, 2014. Incumbent Randy McNally was unopposed in the Republican primary. McNally was unopposed in the general election.[16][17]

2010

See also: Tennessee State Senate elections, 2010

McNally was re-elected to the 5th District seat in 2010. He was unopposed in the general election on November 2, 2010.[18][19]

Tennessee State Senate, District 5, General Election 2010
Candidates Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Randy McNally (R) 44,067

2006

See also: Tennessee State Senate elections, 2006

On Nov. 7, 2006, McNally won re-election to the 5th District Seat in the Tennessee State Senate.[20]

McNally raised $76,034 for his campaign.[21]

Tennessee State Senate, District 5 (2006)
Candidates Votes Percent
Green check mark transparent.png Randy McNally (R) 48,574 100%

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Randy McNally did not complete Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Randy McNally did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Randy McNally campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2022Tennessee State Senate District 5Won general$486,377 $334,888
2018Tennessee State Senate District 5Won general$408,028 N/A**
2014Tennessee State Senate, District 5Won $236,579 N/A**
2010Tennessee State Senate, District 5Won $154,356 N/A**
2006Tennessee State Senate, District 5Won $76,034 N/A**
2002Tennessee State Senate, District 5Won $96,378 N/A**
1998Tennessee State Senate, District 5Won $17,500 N/A**
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards, State legislative scorecards in Tennessee

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Tennessee General Assembly in 2025.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Tennessee General Assembly in 2024.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Tennessee General Assembly in 2023.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Tennessee General Assembly in 2022.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Tennessee General Assembly in 2021.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Tennessee General Assembly in 2020.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Tennessee General Assembly in 2019.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Tennessee General Assembly in 2018.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Tennessee General Assembly in 2017.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Tennessee General Assembly in 2016.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Tennessee General Assembly in 2015.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Tennessee General Assembly in 2014.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Tennessee General Assembly in 2013.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Tennessee General Assembly in 2012.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Tennessee General Assembly in 2011.

Noteworthy events

McNally wins vote of no confidence (2023)

See also: Noteworthy professional misconduct in American politics (2023-2024)

The Senate Republican Caucus held a vote of no confidence in McNally on March 20, 2023. They voted 19-7 in favor of keeping McNally as speaker of the state Senate and lieutenant governor.[22]

The vote followed The Tennessee Holler's report on March 8, 2023, that McNally commented from his verified government account on Instagram photos showing a man named Franklin McClure in underwear.[23][24]

McNally said, “I have made a point to engage with people not only in posts, but in comments and messages as well. My comments to Franklin McClure and others, which have recently drawn so much attention, are no different. While I see now that I should have been more careful about how my comments and activity would be perceived, my intent was always engagement and encouragement."[23] He also said he would take a break from social media.[23]

Rep. Todd Warner (R) called for McNally to resign: "It’s time for him to resign. He’s had a week. I was hoping he would step down on his own and he’s chosen not to do so, but it’s time for him to resign."[25][23] McNally responded, "I serve at the pleasure of the members of the Senate and my caucus. As long as I have their confidence, I am committed to the important work of this state. We have several pieces of crucial legislation, as well as a budget, to pass. I remain committed to that critical work."[25]

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Randy and his wife, Jan, have two children.

See also

2026 Elections

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External links

Officeholder

Tennessee State Senate District 5
  • Website
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    Personal

  • LinkedIn
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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Tennessean, "Ron Ramsey departs, Randy McNally officially becomes lieutenant governor," January 10, 2017
    2. ↑ Tennessee General Assembly, "About the Tennessee Legislature," accessed May 8, 2025
    3. ↑ Paul Bailey for Tennessee, "Backroads & Backstories: Lt. Gov. Randy McNally Shares His Experience As a Legislative Leader," accessed September 24, 2025
    4. ↑ Tennessee General Assembly, "Senator Randy McNally," accessed September 24, 2025
    5. ↑ LinkedIn, "Randy McNally," accessed September 24, 2025
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Tennessee General Assembly, "Senator Randy McNally," accessed September 24, 2025
    7. ↑ WPLN, "Bingo, Bribes And A Wire: Tennessee Senate’s New Leader Recalls The Episode That Defined His Career," January 12, 2017
    8. ↑ The Tennessean, "Operation Rocky Top: Starring undercover role pulls a senator from obscurity," October 22, 2019
    9. ↑ The Tennesean, "Randy McNally set to fill large boots as Tennessee's next lieutenant governor," January 9, 2017
    10. ↑ Knoxville News Sentinel, "McNally to seek lieutenant governor post," March 18, 2016
    11. ↑ The Tennessean, "Randy McNally nominated to be next lieutenant governor," November 17, 2016
    12. ↑ The Oak Ridger, "Oak Ridge's McNally elected Speaker of Senate, lieutenant governor for 5th term," January 14, 2025
    13. ↑ WBIR, "Here's how East Tennessee lawmakers voted on universal school vouchers," January 30, 2025
    14. ↑ Tennessee General Assembly, "SB 6002," accessed September 24, 2025
    15. ↑ “WSMV 4 (Nashville, Tennessee)’’, “Lt. Gov. Randy McNally announces he will not seek reelection to TN legislature’, February 26, 2026
    16. ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "August 7, 2014 Election Results," accessed September 11, 2014
    17. ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Petitions Filed for State Senate and State House of Representatives," accessed April 5, 2014
    18. ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "2010 Primary Election Official Results," accessed April 18, 2014
    19. ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "2010 Tennessee General election results," accessed April 18, 2014
    20. ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "2006 Tennessee General election results," accessed April 18, 2014
    21. ↑ Follow the Money, "General Election Results," accessed April 18, 2014
    22. ↑ WATE, "Lt. Gov. McNally survives ‘no confidence’ vote from Republican colleagues," March 20, 2023
    23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 The Daily Beacon, "Lt. Gov. McNally resists call for resignation over Instagram comments to gay performer," March 20, 2023
    24. ↑ The Tennessee Holler, "Anti-LGBTQ Tennessee Lt. Gov. McNally Comments On Racy Instagram Pics of Young Gay Male," March 8, 2023
    25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 WKRN, "Call for resignation of Lt. Gov. Randy McNally after social media controversy," March 16, 2023

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    -     		Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee
    2017-Present    		 Succeeded by
    -
    Preceded by
    -     		Tennessee State Senate District 5
    1986-Present    		 Succeeded by
    -
    Preceded by
    -     		Tennessee House of Representatives
    1978-1986    		 Succeeded by
    -


    Current members of the Tennessee State Senate
    Leadership
    Senate President:Randy McNally
    Minority Leader:Raumesh Akbari
    Senators
    District 1
    J. Lowe (R)
    District 2
    District 3
    District 4
    District 5
    District 6
    District 7
    District 8
    District 9
    District 10
    District 11
    Bo Watson (R)
    District 12
    Ken Yager (R)
    District 13
    District 14
    District 15
    District 16
    District 17
    Mark Pody (R)
    District 18
    District 19
    District 20
    District 21
    District 22
    District 23
    District 24
    District 25
    District 26
    District 27
    District 28
    District 29
    District 30
    Sara Kyle (D)
    District 31
    District 32
    Paul Rose (R)
    District 33
    Republican Party (27)
    Democratic Party (6)


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