| Randy Tyree | |
| Native Name: | instead.--> |
| Office: | Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee |
| Term Start: | 1976 |
| Term End: | 1983 |
| Successor: | Kyle Testerman |
Randell "Randy" Tyree (born 1940) is a Tennessee politician who served as mayor of Knoxville from 1976 to 1983 and was the Democratic candidate for Governor in 1982.
Tyree was born in Carthage, Tennessee, in 1940.[1] 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.[2] Tyree, now divorced, was married to the former Mary Pat Dukas. The couple has four children.[2]
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.[3] [4]
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.[5] In 1979 he won re-election to a second four-year term, and presided over the city during the 1982 World's Fair.[5]
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,[6] but lost to Republican incumbent governor Lamar Alexander in the November general election.[5]
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.[4] [7] [8] In 2008 he won the Democratic primary held in February, but lost to J.J. Jones in the August general election.[9]