John J. Duncan, Sr.
| John James Duncan, Sr. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Former U.S. Representative from Tennessee's 2nd Congressional District From: January 3, 1965 – June 21, 1988 | |||
| Predecessor | Irene Baker | ||
| Successor | John James "Jimmy" Duncan, Jr. | ||
| Former Mayor of Knoxville From: 1959–1964 | |||
| Predecessor | Cas Walker | ||
| Successor | Robert L. Crossley | ||
| Information | |||
| Party | Republican | ||
| Spouse(s) | Lois Swisher | ||
| Religion | Presbyterian[1] | ||
| Military Service | |||
| Allegiance | United States | ||
| Service/branch | United States Army | ||
| Service Years | 1942–1945 | ||
| Battles/wars | World War II | ||
John James Duncan, Sr. (March 24, 1919 – June 21, 1988) was a Republican from eastern Tennessee who served as the state's U.S. representative from the 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, with his tenure spanning from the mid-1960s to the late 1980s. He was previously the mayor of Knoxville.
Political career
Duncan's first involvement in politics was helping elect Howard Baker, Sr. in the 1954 midterms, and he himself was elected mayor of Knoxville in 1959.[2] During the civil rights movement, a major accomplishment of Duncan was averting racial violence by working with sit-in protesters and business owners to prevent tensions and allow for a peaceful integration of the city.[3] This helped establish strong ties to the black community, and he maintained consistent communication with the NAACP even throughout his later congressional career.
U.S. House of Representatives
Duncan ran for Congress from the 2nd district of Tennessee in the 1964 elections to succeed the retiring Irene Baker, who won a special election to fill the seat of her late husband but chose not to run for a full term.[4] He very narrowly won the Republican primary[5] and emerged victorious in the general election over Democrat challenger Willard Yarbrough (no relation to Texas senator Ralph Yarborough) by just under ten percentage points,[6] under-performing normal margins in the Republican stronghold largely due to backlash from constituents against Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater's proposal to privatize the Tennessee Valley Authority.[3]
He voted against the Voting Rights Act of 1965[7] though supported the Civil Rights Act of 1968.[8] A strong conservative, Duncan supported the Vietnam War and backed tough policies against anti-war protesters.[2] He was among the first congressional Republicans to support the ultimately successful candidacy of Richard Nixon in the 1968 presidential election.[3]
Amidst the concurrent 1976 presidential election where Jimmy Carter would win the state of Tennessee by thirteen points over Gerald Ford, Democrats hopeful in capturing the 2nd district propelled state representative Mike Rowland to challenge Duncan in the general election.[3] Although the latter was young and appealing, the incumbent congressman's campaign utilized effectively designed billboards throughout the area and ultimately defeated Rowland by a landslide.[9]
Duncan died in office on June 21, 1988[10] and was succeeded by his son John James "Jimmy" Duncan, Jr.,[4] also a strong conservative.[11] The younger Duncan represented the district for three decades, retiring in the 2018 midterms.
References
- ↑ Duncan. The Political Graveyard. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Rogers, Michael. John J. Duncan Sr.. Tennessee Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 design (July 26, 2015). Congressman John J. Duncan. The Knoxville Focus. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 BAKER, Irene Bailey. US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ↑ TN District 2 - R Primary Race - Aug 06, 1964. Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ↑ TN District 2 Race - Nov 03, 1964. Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ↑ TO PASS H.R. 6400, THE 1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ↑ TO PASS H.R. 2516, A BILL TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES FOR INTERFERENCE WITH CIVIL RIGHTS. INTERFERENCE WITH A PERSON ENGAGED IN ONE OF THE 8 ACTIVITIES PROTECTED UNDER THIS BILL MUST BE RACIALLY MOTIVATED TO INCUR THE BILL'S PENALTIES.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ↑ TN District 02 Race - Nov 02, 1976. Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ↑ JOHN J. DUNCAN, 69; TENNESSEAN SEVED 24 YEARS IN CONGRESS. The New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ↑ Collins, Michael (July 31, 2017). Rep. John J. Duncan will not seek re-election next year after three decades in office. Tennessean. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
