Tre Hargett
2009 - Present
2029
16
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Tre Hargett (born February 7, 1969, in Ripley, Tennessee) is the 37th and current Tennessee Secretary of State. Unlike most states, in Tennessee the secretary is elected by joint vote of the General Assembly.
The newly elected GOP majority in the Tennessee state legislature voted to replace longtime Secretary of State Riley Darnell, a Democrat, with Hargett, a Republican. He officially took office on January 15, 2009.[1] Hargett was re-elected as Tennessee Secretary of State by the Tennessee General Assembly in 2013, 2017, 2021, and 2025.[2][3]
Hargett first worked in state government as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, beginning in 1996. He was a state representative for 10 years and then assumed the role of chairman of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority in 2007, where he served until becoming secretary of state.[4]
Biography
Hargett attended Memphis State University, where he was vice president and president of the student government association. He was also a member of the College Republicans and the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature. He graduated in 1991 with a degree in accounting. He remained at the university for another year to complete his M.B.A.[5]
Education
- Bachelor of Business Administration degree, Memphis State University (1991) in accounting with honors
- Master of Business Administration degree, Memphis State University (1992) in marketing[1]
Political career
Tennessee Secretary of State (2009 - Present)
Hargett was elected in 2009 by the Tennessee General Assembly to serve as the 37th Tennessee secretary of state. He also served as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, to which he was elected in 2013.[6] Before being elected president in July 2013, he served as the organization's treasurer. He has also served on the board of directors of the American Council of Young Political Leaders, and was a Council of State Government Henry Toll Fellow in 2010.
Tennessee Regulatory Authority (2007-2009)
Hargett was nominated in 2007 to serve as Chairman of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority (TRA), which sets the rates and service standards of privately owned telephone, natural gas, electric, and water utilities within the state, a role he filled from February 2008 until he resigned in January 2009 in order to take up the office of Secretary of State.[7]
Tennessee House of Representatives (1996-2006)
First elected in 2006, Hargett served 10 years as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives. He was selected twice by Republican colleagues to act as their caucus leader, holding the position from 2003 to 2005.
Elections
2009
In Tennessee, the secretary of state is elected by joint vote of the Tennessee General Assembly, and serves a term of four years. Hargett was elected in 2009 by the Tennessee General Assembly.
2004
- General Election
| Tennessee House of Representatives-District 097, 2004 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Tre Hargett Incumbent |
76.3% | 18,293 | |
| Democratic | Susan Slyfield | 23.7% | 5,683 | |
| Total Votes | 23,976 | |||
- Primary Election
- Hargett ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
2002
- General election
| Tennessee House of Representatives-District 097, 2002 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Tre Hargett Incumbent |
81.6% | 13,447 | |
| Independence | James Edwards | 15.4% | 2,539 | |
| Independence | Austin Farley | 3% | 491 | |
| Total Votes | 16,483 | |||
- Primary Election
- Hargett drew almost 99% of the vote in the 2002 Republican primary contest, in which he faced write-in challengers.
1998, 2000
Hargett ran unopposed in 1998 and 2000 for Tennessee House of Representatives District 97.
Noteworthy events
Charged with DUI (2022)
Hargett was charged with a DUI, while driving a state-issued vehicle, on June 18, 2022. He issued the following statement, "On Friday night after leaving the Bonnaroo Music Festival, I was stopped by the Tullahoma Police Department and subsequently arrested for DUI. Driving Under the Influence is a serious matter, and I regret the circumstances that led to my arrest. I respect law enforcement and will trust the legal process as we move forward."[10]
On October 13, 2022, Hargett accepted a plea deal. According to The Tennessean, it was a best interest plea deal, "which is a formal guilty plea while maintaining he's innocent of the charge."[11] He was sentenced to 48 hours in jail, a $350 fine, and a one-year restriction of his license.[12]
June 2017 request for voter rolls
On June 29, 2017, the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, which had been created by President Donald Trump on May 11, requested information on registered voters from all 50 states dating back to 2006. The states were given until July 14 to respond. On June 30, Secretary Hargett announced that the state would refuse to provide the requested information to the commission.
| “ | Although I appreciate the commission's mission to address election-related issues, like voter fraud, Tennessee state law does not allow my office to release the voter information requested to the federal commission.[13] | ” |
| —Secretary Tre Hargett[14] | ||
Property tax freeze for seniors
During his time in the Tennessee State House, Hargett cosponsored Senate Joint Resolution One, a state constitutional amendment designed to freeze property taxes for senior citizens.[15] The amendment won 83 percent support from voters in 2006.[16]
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.
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Tre Hargett and his wife, Dawn, have two children. He is a member of Indiana Lake Peninsula Church.[3]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Tre Hargett Tennessee Secretary. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Tennessee | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
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Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Project Vote Smart, "Biography" accessed November 12, 2012
- ↑ WPLN News, "Tennessee Legislature Re-Appoints Hargett As Secretary Of State Despite Opposition From Democrats," January 13, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, "About our Leadership," accessed February 7, 2025
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, " About the Secretary," accessed June 20, 2013
- ↑ The Daily Helmsman, "TN secretary of state credits UM for success," April 3, 2012
- ↑ WKMS.com, "TN Secretary of State Elected President of National Group," July 23, 2013
- ↑ Tennessee Regulatory Authority - 2007-08 Annual Report
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Election Results," November 2, 2004
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Election Results," November 5, 2002
- ↑ WKRN, "New details revealed in TN Secretary of State DUI charge," June 21, 2022
- ↑ The Tennessean, "Secretary of State Tre Hargett takes plea deal in DUI case," October 13, 2022
- ↑ Action News 5, "Defense attorney explains Tenn. Secretary of State’s ‘bare minimum’ DUI sentence," November 10, 2022
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Twitter, "Tre Hargett," June 30, 2017
- ↑ The Commercial Appeal, "Vote to decide senior tax aid," April 7, 2006
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Biography," accessed April 6, 2012
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Tennessee Secretary of State 2009-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Tennessee Public Utility Commission 2008-2009 |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Tennessee House of Representatives 1996-2006 |
Succeeded by - |
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