Tre Hargett
Encyclopedia
Tre Hargett is an American
Republican Party
politician who currently is serving as the Secretary of State of Tennessee. He is the son of Tennessee Adjutant General Gus L. Hargett, Jr.
in accounting in 1991 and a M.B.A.
in marketing in 1992.
, Tennessee
, served in the Tennessee House of Representatives
from 1996 to 2006. He was the Republican leader in that house from 2003 to 2005, having been elected by his colleagues to that position twice. During his tenure in the House, Hargett co-sponsored a constitutional amendment designed to facilitate property tax relief for senior citizens; the amendment was approved by 83% of Tennessee voters.
In 2007, he was nominated to the position of Director of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority (TRA)
, which sets the rates and service standards of privately owned telephone, natural gas, electric and water utilities. Hargett was confirmed by the Tennessee General Assembly
and served from February 2008 through January 2009.
In January 2009, the state legislature's new Republican majority voted to replace longtime Secretary of State Riley Darnell
, a Democrat with the support of Governor Phil Bredesen
, with Hargett. Hargett immediately resigned from his position as Director of the TRA and took office as Secretary of State on January 15, 2009.
As Secretary of State, Hargett's duties include the chartering of corporation
s, the registration of trademark
s and service mark
s, operation of the state library and state archives, and the administration of elections, among others.
However, the EAC standards Hargett referred to are voluntary, not mandatory; furthermore, none of the voting equipment currently in use in Tennessee has been certified to either the 2002 or 2005 voluntary EAC standards. In addition, the Act does not require the equipment used to be certified to the 2005 EAC standards; it merely states:
Hargett's position on implementing the law has outraged Tennessee Democrats; the chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party
, Chip Forrester, declared on July 10, 2009:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician who currently is serving as the Secretary of State of Tennessee. He is the son of Tennessee Adjutant General Gus L. Hargett, Jr.
Education
Hargett attended Memphis State University, earning a B.B.A.Bachelor of Business Administration
The Bachelor of Business Administration is a bachelor's degree in Commerce and business administration. In most universities, the degree is conferred upon a student after four years of full-time study in one or more areas of business concentrations; see below...
in accounting in 1991 and a M.B.A.
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
in marketing in 1992.
Public service
Hargett, a resident of BartlettBartlett, Tennessee
Bartlett is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and part of the Memphis metropolitan area. The population was 54,613 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, served in the Tennessee House of Representatives
Tennessee House of Representatives
The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional requirements:...
from 1996 to 2006. He was the Republican leader in that house from 2003 to 2005, having been elected by his colleagues to that position twice. During his tenure in the House, Hargett co-sponsored a constitutional amendment designed to facilitate property tax relief for senior citizens; the amendment was approved by 83% of Tennessee voters.
In 2007, he was nominated to the position of Director of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority (TRA)
Tennessee Regulatory Authority
The Tennessee Regulatory Authority is the Tennessee governmental unit charged with the responsibility of setting rates and service standards for privately owned telephone, natural gas, electric and water utilities....
, which sets the rates and service standards of privately owned telephone, natural gas, electric and water utilities. Hargett was confirmed by the Tennessee General Assembly
Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
and served from February 2008 through January 2009.
In January 2009, the state legislature's new Republican majority voted to replace longtime Secretary of State Riley Darnell
Riley Darnell
Riley C. Darnell was the Tennessee Secretary of State.Defeated for reelection to the state Senate in November, 1992, Darnell's political comeback was immediate...
, a Democrat with the support of Governor Phil Bredesen
Phil Bredesen
Philip Norman "Phil" Bredesen Jr. was the 48th Governor of Tennessee, serving from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected Governor in 2002, and was re-elected in 2006. He previously served as the fourth mayor of Nashville and Davidson County from 1991 to...
, with Hargett. Hargett immediately resigned from his position as Director of the TRA and took office as Secretary of State on January 15, 2009.
As Secretary of State, Hargett's duties include the chartering of corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
s, the registration of trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
s and service mark
Service mark
A service mark or servicemark is a trademark used in some countries, notably the United States, to identify a service rather than a product. When a service mark is federally registered, the standard registration symbol ® or "Reg U.S. Pat & TM Off" may be used...
s, operation of the state library and state archives, and the administration of elections, among others.
Tennessee Voter Confidence Act
As the head of a department charged with administering elections, Hargett must administer the Tennessee Voter Confidence Act, which passed the state legislature nearly unanimously and was signed into law by Governor Bredesen in 2008. The Act requires all 95 counties in Tennessee to purchase or lease optical scan voting machines and hand-count voter-verified paper ballots no later than the November 2010 elections. Hargett has argued that it will be impossible to comply the law by the 2010 deadline:The act is very specific. It requires counties to use only certified equipment that meets the security and reliability standards adopted by the federal Election Assistance Commission in 2005. Currently, there are no vendors certified to sell equipment meeting these standards. And because the commission’s certification process typically takes about 18 to 24 months, I’m not confident that a vendor could complete that process in time to have equipment in place for the November 2010 elections.
However, the EAC standards Hargett referred to are voluntary, not mandatory; furthermore, none of the voting equipment currently in use in Tennessee has been certified to either the 2002 or 2005 voluntary EAC standards. In addition, the Act does not require the equipment used to be certified to the 2005 EAC standards; it merely states:
Each county shall use a precinct-based optical scanner voting system on or before the November 2010 general election. ... All voting systems shall meet the minimum federal law requirements with regard to enabling voters with disabilities to complete the voting process in a manner that maintains the privacy of the voter's ballot.
Hargett's position on implementing the law has outraged Tennessee Democrats; the chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party
Tennessee Democratic Party
The Tennessee Democratic Party is the organized coalition of Democrats in Tennessee founded in 1826, tracing its philosophical roots to President Andrew Jackson. Andrew Jackson was born in 1767 in the Carolinas. After fighting in the Revolutionary War he moved to Tennessee in search of opportunity....
, Chip Forrester, declared on July 10, 2009:
Mr. Hargett is hiding behind a weak legal opinion that is subject to wide interpretation. Legal scholars believe that the Secretary of State has the authority to move forward and implement the law as it stands now. I can come to no other conclusion: Mr. Hargett is willfully refusing to do his job. For the sake of a fair, honest and accurate election in 2010, he must be removed from office. ... It’s obvious to me that Republicans are involved in a conspiracy to steal elections through intimidation, fraud, and denial of basic constitutional rights. This kind of behavior has to end. Hargett must go.