Bill Hagerty

 ( 1959 Births ) 

From 2011 to 2014, Hagerty served as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development in the cabinet of Governor Bill Haslam, where he played a role in investments by Bridgestone, Calsonic Kansei (now Magneti Marelli), and Nissan in Tennessee.

Hagerty has served on the board of CyMed, NEW Customer Services, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Ryman Hospitality, Pinnacle Financial Partners, and R.J. O'Brien.

Before his confirmation, Hagerty was reportedly also under consideration for United States Trade Representative, based on his prior international trade and U.S. foreign investment experience. The job eventually went to Robert Lighthizer, an attorney and former Reagan Administration official.

On July 16, 2019, Hagerty announced that he would resign as Ambassador to Japan to run for the Senate.

In December 2018, U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander announced that he would not run for a fourth term. When asked about possible successors, Alexander named Hagerty and former governor Bill Haslam as the "most obvious" candidates. On July 11, 2019, Haslam announced that he would not run for the Senate. The next day, Trump tweeted that Hagerty would resign as ambassador to Japan to run for the open Senate seat. In the same tweet, Trump endorsed Hagerty for Senate. Hagerty was mentioned as a potential U.S. secretary of state during the same period.

Hagerty officially launched his Senate campaign in September 2019. By the end of the month, he had raised $1.9 million for his campaign. By April 6, Hagerty had raised more than $7 million, with $1.2 million raised in the first quarter of 2020. Speakers at Hagerty campaign fundraisers included Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Nikki Haley.

Beginning in late May 2020, news outlets began circulating an article, originally published by Roger Sollenberger in Salon, discussing allegations of campaign finance misconduct by Hagerty. The article focused largely on a loan given to the Hagerty Campaign by Pinnacle Financial Partners almost immediately following the CARES Act.

On August 6, 2020, Hagerty won the Republican primary. He defeated Democratic nominee Marquita Bradshaw in the November general election, 1,840,926 votes to 1,040,691. Hagerty took office on January 3, 2021.

In August 2021, Hagerty used a procedural maneuver to grind the final vote on the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to a halt, citing the expense and the upcoming $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. His actions drew the ire of both Democratic and Republican senators, with Democrats accusing Hagerty of doing Trump's bidding and Republicans such as Mitt Romney and Kevin Cramer showing frustration.

In July 2022, Business Insider reported that Hagerty had violated the STOCK Act, a federal transparency and conflict-of-interest law, by failing to disclose on time sales of stock from his three of his dependent children's trusts.

In October 2024, it was reported that Hagerty was being considered for a Cabinet position, either Treasury, Commerce, or State. After Trump won, reports singled out Treasury as the most likely spot for Hagerty. Ultimately, Hagerty remained in the Senate.

• Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
• Committee on Foreign Relations
• Committee on Appropriations
• Committee on Rules and Administration

During his 2020 Senate campaign, Hagerty resigned from the board of futures brokerage R.J. O'Brien & Associates after an opponent claimed the firm was donating money to the Black Lives Matter Foundation, an organization of which Hagerty is critical. He was also called "entitled" for acquiring a $2.5 million loan to his campaign from Pinnacle Bank (where he had formerly been a director) at a time when small businesses were having difficulty getting federal stimulus loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hagerty supports the death penalty for people convicted of engaging in human trafficking acts. He believes that Sharia Law is a national security threat to the U.S. and that the U.S. should continue to support Israel. Hagerty supports reducing taxes and supports enacting a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States. He opposes raising the federal minimum wage. Hagerty opposes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and believes that the federal government should reduce its involvement in health care. He supports efforts to prevent the closure of rural hospitals. Hagerty supports increased investment and development of fossil fuels, and supports repealing renewable energy and energy efficiency standards. He also supports American energy independence.