Lamar Alexander
Andrew Lamar Alexander Jr. (born July 3, 1940) is an American politician and attorney who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 2003 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he also was the 45th governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987 and the 5th United States Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993, where he helped with the implementation of Education 2000.
For other people named Andrew Alexander, see Andrew Alexander (disambiguation).
Lamar Alexander
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Born in Maryville, Tennessee, Alexander graduated from Vanderbilt University and the New York University School of Law. After establishing a legal career in Nashville, Tennessee, Alexander ran for Governor of Tennessee in 1974, but was defeated by Democrat Ray Blanton. Alexander ran for governor again in 1978, and this time defeated his Democratic opponent. He won re-election in 1982 and served as chairman of the National Governors Association from 1985 to 1986.
Alexander served as the president of the University of Tennessee from 1988 until 1991, when he accepted an appointment as Secretary of Education under President George H. W. Bush. Alexander sought the presidential nomination in the 1996 Republican primaries, but withdrew before the Super Tuesday primaries. He sought the nomination again in the 2000 Republican primaries, but dropped out after a poor showing in the Iowa Straw Poll.
In 2002, Alexander was elected to succeed retiring U.S. Senator Fred Thompson. Alexander defeated Congressman Ed Bryant in the Republican primary and democrat Congressman Bob Clement in the general election. He served as Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference from 2007 to 2012 and as chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee from 2015 to 2021. He introduced the Every Student Succeeds Act, which supplanted the No Child Left Behind Act in 2015. On December 17, 2018, Alexander announced that he would not run for a fourth term in the Senate in 2020.
Early life and education[edit]
Alexander was born and raised in Maryville, Tennessee, the son of Genevra Floreine (née Rankin), a preschool teacher, and Andrew Lamar Alexander, a high school principal.[1][2] His family is of Scotch-Irish descent.[2] He attended Maryville High School, where he was class president,[2] and was elected Governor of Tennessee Boys State.[3]
In 1962, Alexander graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin American studies. He was a member of Sigma Chi.[4][1] Alexander was the editor of The Vanderbilt Hustler, the primary student newspaper on campus, and he advocated for the open admission of African Americans.[5] At Vanderbilt, he was a member of the track and field team.[6] In 1965, he obtained his Juris Doctor from the New York University School of Law.[7][8]
Political positions[edit]
Iraq[edit]
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.[60] 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."[61] In 2007, Alexander touted implementing the Iraq Study Group recommendations, noting that he believes Bush will be viewed as a Truman-esque figure if he implements the Group's recommendations.[62][63]
Health care reform[edit]
On July 15, 2009, Alexander voted against President Obama's health care reform bill in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.[64] Alexander stated that he opposed the bill because, he said, it would result in higher state taxes, an increased federal debt, government-run health care, and Medicare cuts; he instead supported a different approach to reform.[65] Alexander voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in December 2009,[66] and he voted against the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.[67] Alexander was part of the group of 13 Senators who drafted the Senate version of the failed American Health Care Act of 2017 behind closed doors.[68][69][70][71]
Personal life[edit]
In 1969, Alexander married Leslee "Honey" Buhler,[89] who grew up in Victoria, Texas, and graduated from Smith College in Massachusetts.[90] They had met during a softball game for Senate staff members.[91] Together they have four children: Drew, Leslee, Kathryn, and Will. Drew passed away in 2021.[91] After a six-month trip to Australia with his family in the late 1980s, Alexander wrote about their adventure in a book entitled Six Months Off.[92]
Alexander is a classical and country pianist. He began taking piano lessons at age three, and won several competitions as a child.[2] In April 2007, 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 performed the song live at an April 4 fundraiser for his senatorial re-election campaign in Nashville's Schermerhorn Symphony Center.[93] While clerking for Judge Wisdom, he also played trombone, tuba and washboard at a Bourbon Street nightclub.
Alexander is a member of Sons of the Revolution.[94] He is a member and elder of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Nashville, a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA).[95][96][97]
Alexander is an Eagle Scout, and used his Scouting experience in the Senate, sponsoring a 2010 resolution recognizing February 8, as "Boy Scouts of America Day."[98]
1996 United States presidential election (Republican primaries):[99]
Republican Senate Minority Whip[100]
Senate Republican Conference Chairman[101]