Ed Jones (U.S. politician)

Edward "Ed" Jones (April 20, 1912–December 11, 1999) was a Democratic Congressman from the state of Tennessee from 1969 to 1989.

Biography

Jones was a native of Yorkville, Tennessee. He graduated from the University of Tennessee Junior College (now the University of Tennessee at Martin) in 1932 and the University of Tennessee in 1934 with degrees in agriculture. For many years, he operated a farm in Yorkville. In 1934, he took a job as an agricultural inspector for the state of Tennessee. In 1944, Jones became an agricultural agent for the Illinois Central Railroad, a job he held until 1969, except for a stint as Tennessee's agriculture commissioner from 1949 to 1953 under Governor Gordon Browning. Additionally, he was a member of various agriculture-related boards and committees.

In March 1969 Jones won the Democratic nomination for a special election to replace Robert "Fats" Everett, Congressman from the Eighth District in Northwest Tennessee, who had died in office. The election was unusual in that it was contested not only by the Republicans but also by the American Independent Party of George Wallace, who did very well in Northwest Tennessee in the previous year's presidential election. The three candidates almost split the vote evenly in the March 25 contest; Jones won with a slight plurality and was sworn in as soon as the results were certified. However, he was never again to face an election nearly this close.

Jones was re-elected to a full term with less opposition in 1970. In 1972 his district was renumbered the Seventh District due to Tennessee losing a district after the 1970 census (it became the Eighth District again after the 1980 census). Jackson, which had been the base of its own district represented by fellow Democrat Ray Blanton, was added to Jones' new district. The resulting district was, if anything, even more Democratic than his previous district. To avoid a primary election, Blanton ran, unsuccessfully, for the United States Senate against Republican Howard Baker. Jones retained his seat easily even as Richard Nixon won 90 of Tennessee's 95 counties, including most of his district. He was reelected completely unopposed in 1974.

In 1976, Martin businessman and state representative Larry Bates, an associate of high-profile East Tennessee banker Jake Butcher, ran against Jones in the Democratic primary. This was the first (and as it turned out, only) serious challenge of any sort Jones faced. No other party put up a candidate, meaning that victory in the primary was tantamount to election. Bates had a very conservative record as a state representative, even by Tennessee Democratic standards. He ran well to the right of the moderate Jones and spent a large amount of money by the standards of rural West Tennessee at the time. However, he made no real inroads in Jones' support and was heavily defeated. (Bates later moved to Memphis and became a Republican and a right wing radio talk show host.) After this, Jones coasted to five more terms (including a completely unopposed run in 1984), choosing not to run for a 10th full term (11th overall) in 1988.

Jones continued to operate his farm near Yorkville until shortly before his death, one of the few members of Congress in the late 20th century who was truly a farmer instead of merely listing it as an occupation on paper.