Roy Herron

In January 2015, Democratic activist and former candidate for State Senate Mary Mancini was elected to succeed Herron.

Herron set records in Jackson Day fundraising and spoke out with unprecedented numbers of op-ed essays in major newspapers in the state. In the summer of 2014, he led a quiet but effective effort to save the Democratic justices on the Tennessee Supreme Court, successfully raising unprecedented funds for retaining the court. In the fall, he also led the party to victories in five of their seven targeted races in 2014 despite Republican advantages in numbers of office holders, funding and outside groups weighing in heavily in state races.

Roy Herron was elected in 2013 as Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman.

In April 2009, Herron announced that he would be running for Governor of Tennessee in the Democratic primary, but in December 2009, he declared as a candidate for Tennessee's 8th congressional district when Congressman John S. Tanner announced his retirement. Herron quickly became the frontrunner and other strong contenders did not challenge him. He was easily victorious in the August 2010 primary.

Herron was first elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1986 to fill Governor Ned McWherter's seat. He served in the House in the 95th through 99th Tennessee General Assemblies and in the Senate in the 100th through 107th. He rose to become floor leader and then chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus. He also chaired the Select Committee on Children and Youth, the Senate General Welfare, Health and Human Resources Committee, and the Joint Tenncare Oversight Committee. He was a member of the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Government Operations Committee, the Joint Committee on Charitable Gaming, and the Joint Select Committee on Education. Herron was known for his work ethic (he attended every legislative session for 26 years except the day his youngest son was being born), his debating skills and his strong advocacy for those he called "the working people and the hurting people".

Roy Herron graduated with highest honors from the University of Tennessee at Martin in 1975. Herron was the 9th Governor of the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature, a statewide organization of college students. Before serving as Governor, he was Lieutenant Governor of the organization. In 1975 and 1976 he was a Rotary Scholar in Scotland at the University of St. Andrews. He graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1980, with a M.Div. and a J.D. as one of the first two joint law and divinity graduates.

Roy Herron (born September 30, 1953) is an American politician, attorney and author. He is the former Chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party. He was the Tennessee State Senator for the 24th district for 16 years and for 10 years before that the State Representative for the 76th District. He was the 2010 Democratic nominee for U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 8th congressional district .

Roy Herron grew up in Weakley County, Tennessee, where his ancestor was one of the first two settlers in the 1820s. Herron grew up working on his family's farm and became an Eagle Scout.