The Commercial Appeal

Mcnally survives confidence vote in Senate after controvers­y

- Melissa Brown

Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy Mcnally prevailed in a Republican caucus confidence vote on Monday, indicating state senators aren’t yet willing to publicly break with the Senate speaker over a controvers­y sparked by Mcnally’s repeated comments on a young man’s suggestive Instagram photos.

Republican senators voted 19-7 in favor of Mcnally’s continued leadership, per a statement released by his office.

“I have always been honored, humbled and grateful for the support of my caucus,” Mcnally said. “I remain so today. We have a lot of important work left to do as we complete the legislativ­e session, including the budget. I look forward to getting to it.”

Though senators have shied away from publicly commenting on Mcnally’s political fate, some conservati­ve media and at least one House member last week called for Mcnally to resign the speakershi­p. Mcnally, who was recently reelected for another term, could continue to serve as a senator if he gave up the speakershi­p.

Some public support had coalesced for Sen. Paul Bailey to succeed Mcnally, with the Tennessee Conservati­ve and the Tennessee Firearms Associatio­n publicly tapping the Sparta Republican to succeed Mcnally.

Mcnally publicly apologized and has at least temporaril­y shut down his Instagram account over his interactio­ns with a young man’s risqué photos and other LGBTQ content.

The man, 20-year-old Franklin Mcclure, confirmed to The Tennessean Mcnally first befriended him on Facebook when he was 17 but said his online content was, at the time, much more “conservati­ve” compared to recent posts that feature the aspiring entertaine­r nude or nearly nude.

Mcnally had not, in Mcclure’s opinion, insinuated anything inappropri­ate in his private messages, which the Tennessean has not reviewed. Mcclure did call Mcnally’s support “hypocritic­al” while the politician backed a number of ANTI-LGBTQ bills.

Reach Melissa Brown at mabrown@tennessean.com.

 ?? NICOLE HESTER/THE TENNESSEAN ?? Lt. Gov. Randy Mcnally, R-oak Ridge, speaker of the state Senate, speaks during session at the State Capitol building in Nashville on March 13.
NICOLE HESTER/THE TENNESSEAN Lt. Gov. Randy Mcnally, R-oak Ridge, speaker of the state Senate, speaks during session at the State Capitol building in Nashville on March 13.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States