Tributes pour in after Former Tennessee State Senator Roy Herron, 69, dies ... trends now
Roy Herron, a longtime Tennessee state lawmaker and former chairperson of the state Democratic Party, died Sunday from injuries sustained in a jet ski accident.
Herron died at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville. He was 69.
He had been hospitalized since a July 1 collision with another jet ski on Kentucky Lake, where he suffered internal bleeding and extensive injuries to his arm and pelvis, according to his family's Caring Bridge website.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is investigating the collision, the details of which were not immediately available.
'Roy loved his family with all his might,' Herron's wife, Rev. Nancy Carol Miller-Herron, said.
Roy Herron, a longtime Tennessee state lawmaker and former chairperson of the state Democratic Party, died Sunday from injuries sustained in a jet ski accident. He was 69
'He passed doing what he loved most - spending time with our sons and their friends in the Tennessee outdoors where his spirit was always most free,' the family's statement read.
Condolences poured in on Sunday after news of his passing. On Twitter, former Vice President Al Gore called his fellow Tennessee Democrat 'a dear friend and one of Tennessee's most devoted citizens.'
Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen called Herron 'bright, diligent, and honest. A politician destined for greatness.'
Joe Hill, a longtime Tennessee Democratic political operative who worked with Herron on multiple campaigns, said he 'brought a zeal for making health care more accessible to disadvantaged Tennesseans' when he was elected to the state House.
Hill said Herron also brought that commitment to 'education, victims' rights, environmental quality and so many other things that affect average people.'
Republican Rep. David Kustoff said Herron 'dedicated his life to serving West Tennessee, and the entire Volunteer State.'
'Most recently I appreciated Roy for being in the fight for public schools and against vouchers,' said State Representative Gloria Johnson. 'Sending love and strength to his family.'
Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn said she was 'saddened to hear of the passing of my former Tennessee State Senate colleague.'
Tennessee House Republican
