James Rand McNally (born January 30, 1944) is an American politician serving as the 50th lieutenant governor of Tennessee since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he has been the state senator from the 5th district since 1987, which encompasses Anderson, Loudon, and part of Knox County. Early life and education McNally was born in Boston and later graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1962, obtained a Bachelor of Science (BS) from Memphis State University in 1967, and graduated from University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy in 1969. Career Beginning in the late 1960s, he worked as a pharmacist in chain drug stores. In 1978, he began employment as a hospital pharmacist at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. McNally has served in the Tennessee General Assembly since 1979. He was elected to the 91st through 94th General Assemblies as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives. He was a key figure in the Operation Rocky Top investigation in the late 1980s, when he worked undercover to help the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation obtain evidence on political corruption in the Tennessee state government. He moved to the State Senate for the 95th General Assembly in 1987, and has served there continuously since then. McNally was a candidate for Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate in 2007, but fellow Republican Ron Ramsey was elected. On January 10, 2017, he was elected Lieutenant Governor and Senate Speaker by the state senate. Personal life McNally is Roman Catholic. References External links Senator Randy McNally, Tennessee General Assembly website Senator James Randy McNally, Project Vote Smart Further reading Sandra Roberts, Before Tennessee Waltz, there was Rocky Top. The Tennessean, June 5, 2005. Larry Daughtrey, Lieutenant governor's contest may be a mystery worth decoding. The Tennessean. May 28, 2006. 1944 births 21st-century American politicians American pharmacists Living people Republican Party members of the Tennessee House of Representatives People from Oak Ridge, Tennessee Republican Party Tennessee state senators Lieutenant Governors of Tennessee Politicians from Dedham, Massachusetts