Don Sundquist, a Republican who was twice elected governor of Tennessee and earlier served 12 years within the United States House of Representatives, died on Sunday in Memphis. He was 87.
His dying, at Baptist East Hospital, was confirmed by a household spokeswoman. An announcement by the workplace of the state’s present governor, Bill Lee, mentioned the dying got here after surgical procedure and a brief sickness.
Mr. Sundquist by no means misplaced an election in eight tries in Tennessee — six for Congress and two for governor — however he emerged as a divisive determine throughout his remaining years in workplace because the state feuded over whether or not to create an earnings tax.
He was elected to the House in 1982, representing elements of West and Middle Tennessee. He stored the seat till working for governor in 1994, when he grew to become Tennessee’s forty seventh chief govt. He simply received re-election in 1998.
During his first time period as governor in Nashville, Mr. Sundquist reformed the state’s welfare system via a program he referred to as Families First. It was designed to maneuver welfare recipients into jobs by providing them coaching, job search assist, transportation and day care wants. In return, recipients had been required to spend time every week in job-related actions and had been restricted to 18 months of welfare at a time with a lifetime ceiling of 5 years.
“It’s a highly successful program of preparation for work,” Mr. Sundquist mentioned in 1998.
He additionally favored privatizing the state’s jail system, however the General Assembly balked. In his second time period, he proposed repealing the gross sales tax on groceries, to save lots of every Tennessee household of 4 practically $500 per yr. And he beneficial repealing the franchise and excise taxes and changing them with a low “fair business tax” that treats all corporations the identical.
His recognition started to wane, although, as state monetary troubles emerged throughout hovering prices for TennCare, the state’s effort to offer well being take care of the uninsured by increasing Medicaid. He proposed a state earnings tax, an concept normally related to Democrats, which set off a long-running battle over state funds.
Mr. Sundquist was so unpopular amongst Republicans that he prevented practically all public appearances with the celebration’s presidential nominee, George W. Bush, in 2000. He stayed out of the limelight for years after he left workplace, in 2003, however started to renew showing at celebration occasions after Gov. Bill Haslam was elected in 2010.
In Congress, Mr. Sundquist voted in opposition to banning assault weapons, helped write and cross a complete ethics code and supported a capital-gains tax minimize and a balanced-budget modification. He opposed the 1990 Civil Rights Act.
In his first race for the House, he upset the Democrat Bob Clement — a son of former Gov. Frank Clement and the inheritor to a well-known identify in Tennessee politics. After profitable the seat, Mr. Sundquist not often had critical opposition for re-election.
The son of a welder, Donald Kenneth Sundquist was born on March 15, 1936, in Moline, Ill. Before serving in Congress, he based Graphic Sales of America Corp. of Memphis, a printing and promoting firm. He additionally put collectively buyers to determine a financial institution in Germantown and later joined with others in opening a Memphis-style barbecue restaurant in Arlington, Va.
He was nationwide chairman of the Young Republican National Federation from 1971 to 1973 and spent nearly 20 years doing grass roots work for the G.O.P.
Mr. Sundquist was the primary member of his household to attend school, bagging groceries to assist pay for tuition at Augustana College in Illinois. After graduating in 1957, he served two years within the Navy. He then went to work for Jostens Inc., a scholastic merchandise firm in Shelbyville, the place he rose to division supervisor earlier than transferring to turn out to be associate and president of Graphic Sales.
He defeated Phil Bredesen, then mayor of Nashville, for governor in 1994. In 1998, he had token opposition, defeating John Jay Hooker Jr. within the common election.
He is survived by his spouse of 64 years, the previous first girl Martha Sundquist; their kids, Andrea, Tania and Deke; and two granddaughters, Governor Lee’s workplace mentioned.
Source: www.nytimes.com