Sign Up

Please sign up below to receive updates from the Senate Democratic Caucus.

Doug Jackson

In addition to his service in the State Senate, Doug Jackson is an attorney and the executive director of the Renaissance Center in Dickson. The son of Dr. Jimmy Jackson, a fixture in the Dickson medical community, Senator Jackson attended Battle Ground Academy High School and Austin Peay State University. He earned his law degree from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, AL.

In 1986, Jackson challenged Walter "Buck" Work for his seat in the 69th House District of the Tennessee General Assembly and defeated the long-time incumbent in the Democratic Primary. He then coasted to a General Election win over his Republican opponent by a margin of roughly two-to-one. After this, he never faced a truly well-funded or highly-organized opponent for the next six two-year terms.

During this period, Jackson established a conservative voting record, generally being pro-business and always pro-life. In 1994, he survived a very serious bout with cancer, which forced him to miss many legislative meetings. When he reappeared on the House floor, still bald from the effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, his colleagues gave him a protracted standing ovation. He has suffered no recurrence.

When 25th District State Senator Kenneth N. "Pete" Springer died in early 2000, Jackson made a run for the State Senate, defeating, among others, Springer's former staff director and campaign manager in August 2000 for the remaining two years of Springer’s term.

Jackson was elected to a full term in November 2002 by an even larger margin, and he remains quite popular in the district. He won the Democratic nomination for a third term in the Senate—his second full term—on August 3, 2006 with over 80% of the vote.

He has gained further notoriety from his continuing fight to establish a state minimum wage in Tennessee. In 2006, he sponsored a bill to increase Tennessee's minimum wage to $1.00 an hour over the federally required $5.15/hr. The bill faced stiff opposition from business interests, which have often supported Jackson in the past, and Republican senators. Jackson's bill passed the Democrat-controlled House, but failed on the floor of the Republican-controlled Senate. The votes broke along party lines. Jackson is moving another minimum wage bill through the 105th General Assembly.

Contact:
District 25 - Dickson, Giles, Hickman,
Humphreys, Lawrence, and Lewis counties

District Address
119 Tanglewood Drive
Dickson, TN 37055
Phone (615) 446-5631
 
Nashville Address
10 Legislative Plaza
Nashville, TN 37243-0025
Phone (615) 741-4499
Fax (615) 741-8745
Staff Contacts: Kim Andrews

Email: sen.doug.jackson@legislature.state.tn.us