John Jennings, Jr.
| John Jennings, Jr. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Former U.S. Representative from Tennessee's 2nd Congressional District From: December 30, 1939 – January 3, 1951 | |||
| Predecessor | J. Will Taylor | ||
| Successor | Howard Baker, Sr. | ||
| Information | |||
| Party | Republican | ||
| Spouse(s) | Pearnie Ethel Hamby | ||
John Jennings, Jr. (June 6, 1880 – February 27, 1956) was a Tennessee Republican who represented the state's 2nd congressional district mostly during the 1940s, succeeding James Willis Taylor, who died in office. He was previously a delegate to the Republican National Conventions three times during the 1910s, in addition to being a special assistant to the United States Attorney General.
U.S. House of Representatives
Following the death of incumbent popular congressman James Willis "J. Will" Taylor, Jr. in 1939, Jennings was among several Republican contenders for the seat, which included Taylor's older daughter Elizabeth.[1] However, Elizabeth Taylor ultimately decided against running for her late father's seat, citing her mother's ill health. Jennings, who previously unsuccessfully sought to primary Taylor, subsequently received the GOP nomination and faced Democrat Hammond Fowler, who attacked the authenticity of his support for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA),[2] an extremely popular New Deal agency in the state. Despite such, Jennings still defeated Fowler by a landslide.[3] He would be re-elected five times in 1940, 1942, 1944, 1946, and 1948.[4]
Jennings voted for the 1940 Gavagan-Fish[5] anti-lynching bill,[6] in addition to an anti-poll tax measure two years later.[7]
In the 1950 Midterm Elections, Jennings faced a primary challenge from Howard Baker, Sr. (the father of later Tennessee U.S. senator Howard Baker, Jr.), and lost renomination in a landslide.[8] He missed five percent of all roll call votes during his congressional tenure.[9]
See also
- Brazilla Carroll Reece, Republican U.S. representative from Tennessee's 1st congressional district
References
- ↑ Hill, Ray (September 3, 2018). The Mystery After J. Will Taylor’s Death, II. The Knoxville Focus. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ↑ Hill, Ray (September 9, 2018). The Fight To Succeed J. Will Taylor. The Knoxville Focus. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ↑ TN - District 02 - Special Election Race - Dec 30, 1939. Our Campaigns. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ↑ Candidate - John Jennings. Our Campaigns. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ↑ FascinatingPolitics (July 1, 2018). On Ideology and Anti-Lynching Legislation. Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ↑ TO PASS H.R. 801, A BILL TO MAKE LYNCHING A FEDERAL CRIME.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ↑ TO PASS H.R. 1024 WHICH DECLARES ILLEGAL THE REQUIREMENT OF A POLL TAX AS A PREREQUISITE FOR VOTING OR REGISTERING TO VOTE FOR PRESIDENT, VICE-PRESIDENT, OR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ↑ TN District 2 - R Primary Race - Aug 03, 1950. Our Campaigns. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ↑ Rep. John Jennings Jr.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
