Former Tennessee governor Don Sundquist has died after a short illness
Don Sundquist, a Republican who was twice elected governor of Tennessee and also served 12 years in Congress, died Sunday. He was 87.
During his first term as governor, Sundquist reformed the state’s welfare system through a program he called “Families First.” It was designed to move welfare recipients into jobs by offering them training, job search help, transportation and day care needs. His popularity began to wane, though, as state financial troubles emerged during soaring costs for TennCare, the state’s effort to provide health care for the uninsured by expanding Medicaid. He proposed a state income tax, an idea usually associated with Democrats that set off a long-running battle over state finances.
In his first race for Congress, he upset Democrat Bob Clement — the son of former Gov. Frank Clement and the heir to a famous name in Tennessee politics.The son of a welder, Sundquist was born March 15, 1936, in Moline, Ill.
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