Randy Tyree

{{Short description|American politician (1940–2025)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Randy Tyree | native_name =  | native_name_lang =  | image_upright = | alt = | caption = | order = | office = Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee | term_start = 1976 | term_end = 1983 | predecessor = Kyle Testerman | successor = Kyle Testerman | birth_date = {{birth date text|1940}} | birth_place=Gordonsville, Tennessee, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and given age|2025|11||85}} }}

'''Randell Tyree''' (1940 – November 24, 2025) was an American politician, who served as mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee, from 1976 to 1983. He was also the Democratic candidate for Governor of Tennessee in 1982.

==Life and career== Tyree was born in Gordonsville, Tennessee, in 1940.<ref name="nyt" /><ref>[http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/tylor-tzschuck.html The Political Graveyard]</ref> He received a bachelor's degree from Middle Tennessee State University, where his major was political science. Subsequently he earned a law degree from the University of Tennessee.<ref name=KnoxNewsBio>[http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jul/20/randy-tyree/ Randy Tyree (D) - Sheriff], ''Knoxville News Sentinel'', July 20, 2008</ref> Tyree, later divorced, was married to the former Mary Pat Dukas. The couple had four children.<ref name=KnoxNewsBio/>

For a ten-year period early in his career, he worked in law enforcement, including a four-year stint with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as well as a period as a police officer in Knoxville. He also served as a police commissioner in the City of Knoxville.<ref>[http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/Jan/13/randy-tyree/ Randy Tyree (D) - Sheriff], ''Knoxville News Sentinel'', January 13, 2008</ref><ref name=WATEaugustballot>[http://www.wate.com/story/5006510/tyree-will-be-on-august-ballot-for-knox-county-sheriff Tyree will be on August ballot for Knox County sheriff] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322052150/http://www.wate.com/story/5006510/tyree-will-be-on-august-ballot-for-knox-county-sheriff |date=2012-03-22}}, WATE-TV website, June 8, 2006</ref>

He was elected mayor of Knoxville at age 34 in 1975, the city's youngest candidate ever to hold that office, defeating Republican incumbent Kyle Testerman. He took office the following year.<ref name=KNSfair>[http://web.knoxnews.com/advertising/worldsfair/news_timeline.html Chronology for World's Fair issues] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080807160754/http://web.knoxnews.com/advertising/worldsfair/news_timeline.html |date=2008-08-07 }}, ''Knoxville News Sentinel'', April 28, 2002</ref> In 1979, he won re-election to a second four-year term, and presided over the city during the 1982 World's Fair.<ref name=KNSfair/>

In 1982, Tyree ran for Governor with support from Jake Butcher. He won the Democratic nomination by defeating Anna Belle Clement O'Brien in the primary election,<ref>Sarah McCally Morehouse, [https://books.google.com/books?id=1rd0Eqt7sUYC&dq=randy+tyree&pg=PA86 The Governor as Party Leader], page 86, University of Michigan Press, 1998, {{ISBN|978-0-472-10848-0}}</ref> but lost to Republican incumbent governor Lamar Alexander in the November general election.<ref name=KNSfair/>

Tyree unsuccessfully sought to again become mayor in the 1987 election.

Tyree was a candidate for sheriff of Knox County in 2006 and 2008. In the May 2006 primary, he ran as a write-in candidate, winning over 5% of the vote and thus earning a place in the August general election, which he lost to Republican incumbent Tim Hutchison.<ref name=WATEaugustballot/><ref>Catharyn Campbell, [http://www.wate.com/story/5236617/hutchison-wins-fifth-term-as-knox-county-sheriff Hutchison wins fifth term as Knox County sheriff] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322052125/http://www.wate.com/story/5236617/hutchison-wins-fifth-term-as-knox-county-sheriff |date=2012-03-22}}, WATE-TV website, August 3, 2006</ref><ref>[http://www.wate.com/story/7485825/tyree-to-run-again-for-knox-co-sheriff Tyree to run again for Knox Co. sheriff] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322052138/http://www.wate.com/story/7485825/tyree-to-run-again-for-knox-co-sheriff |date=2012-03-22 }}, WATE-TV website, December 12, 2007, updated January 11, 2008.</ref> In 2008, he won the Democratic primary held in February, but lost to J.J. Jones in the August general election.<ref>[http://www.wate.com/story/8808566/primary-general-election-results-august-7-2008 Primary & General Election Results, August 7, 2008] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322052108/http://www.wate.com/story/8808566/primary-general-election-results-august-7-2008 |date=March 22, 2012}}, WATE-TV website, accessed April 5, 2011</ref>

Tyree died on November 24, 2025, at the age of 85.<ref name="nyt">{{cite web|title=Former Knoxville Mayor Randy Tyree, who brought the world to Knoxville, has died|url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2025/11/25/former-knoxville-mayor-randy-tyree-died-worlds-fair/87457525007/|date=November 25, 2025|last=Feinberg|first=Allie|publisher=Knox News|access-date=November 25, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Wright |first1=Shelby |title='The World's Fair Mayor': Former Knoxville Mayor Randy Tyree has passed away |url=https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/knoxville/former-knoxville-mayor-randy-tyree-has-passed-away/51-94d11b46-f71d-4c35-8204-ba5de1fcaf96 |website=WBIR.com |access-date=November 24, 2025}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://randytyree.wordpress.com/ Randy Tyree's blog] *{{IMDb name| 9502063}}

{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{S-bef|before=Jake Butcher}} {{s-ttl|title=Democratic nominee for Governor of Tennessee|years=1982}} {{S-aft|after=Ned McWherter}} {{s-off}} {{succession box | title=Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee | before=Kyle Testerman | after=Kyle Testerman | years=1976–1983 }} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tyree, Randy}} Category:1940 births Category:2025 deaths Category:American municipal police chiefs Category:Law enforcement officials from Tennessee Category:Federal Bureau of Investigation agents Category:Mayors of Knoxville, Tennessee Category:Middle Tennessee State University alumni Category:Tennessee Democrats Category:University of Tennessee alumni Category:People from Smith County, Tennessee