Former State Senator Jim Tracy passed away last Friday at the age of 69 years old after battling cancer.
His funeral service will be held on Tuesday at North Boulevard Church of Christ in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, according to his obituary. Tracy, who was married for nearly 50 years, is survived by his wife, Trena, his three sons, and three grandchildren.
In politics, Tracy (pictured above) served as a state senator from 2005 to 2017. In the State Senate, he was the Speaker Pro Tempore and Senate Transportation and Safety Committee chairman. As a state senator, Tracy was known for infrastructure work in Tennessee.
The Legislature named the Shelbyville bypass after Tracy in February, calling it “the Senator Jim Tracy Overpass.”
After serving in the Tennessee Legislature, Tracy served as Tennessee state director for USDA Rural Development from 2017 to 2021 during the first Trump administration.
Tracy, who graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin, previously attempted to run for U.S. Congress in 2010 and 2014, but failed to win the Republican primaries both times.
When he was not involved in public service, Tracy’s obituary says he liked to golf, exercise, quail hunt, spend time with family, and root for the sports teams of the University of Tennessee and Middle Tennessee State University.
Scott Golden, Tennessee Republican Party chairman, released a statement after Tracy’s passing, saying Tracy “never met a stranger regardless of his time in politics, coaching, refereeing, or business.”
“His election ushered in the majority era of the Tennessee Republican Party,” Golden said.
“His mentorship of countless elected officials will guide Tennessee’s future for decades to come. He was an avid golfer and I will always cherish the many rounds, political conversations, and most importantly, the friendship,” he said.
Golden added that “Tennessee has lost a true statesman.”
“The prayers of many are with the family and countless friends of Senator Jim Tracy,” he said.
The Tennessee U.S. senators also released statements reflecting on Tracy’s passing. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) called Tracy a “good man” and a “leader through and through.”
“He fought to help take the majority in the State Senate and never stopped serving the people of Tennessee. Our state is better off because he answered the call to service. We’ll miss him dearly and are praying for Trena and his family,” she said.
Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) said Tracy “lived a life of dedicated service” for Tennessee.
“He was a steadfast public servant whose leadership and commitment to Tennessee left a lasting impact on the communities and people he served,” Hagerty said.
“Chrissy and I extend our deepest condolences to Senator Tracy’s family during this time of great loss,” he added.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at [email protected].
Photo “Jim Tracy” by TNEnvironment.
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