20 years ago: Rep. Marilyn Lloyd steps down after 10 terms

Can you imagine a Democrat representing Tennessee’s 3rd District in the U.S. House of Representatives?  Due to some massive political shifts, and GOP-friendly redistricting in 2000, such a prospect is unlikely today.  In recent general elections, Democratic candidates have struggled to get 40 percent of the vote.

But from 1975 until 1995, Marilyn Lloyd was the District’s representative in Washington, pulling off a rare feat: she never lost an election.  In ten consecutive Congressional races, local voters sent her to the Capitol, often by lopsided margins.  In my opinion, when she decided to step down twenty years ago, the timing was right.  On a personal level, she was 65 years old and seemed tired of the political rat race.  Her elderly mother was ailing, she had recently re-married, and she wanted to spend more time with her family.

In Washington, the tide was changing.  Seeking an eleventh term would have placed her in a mid-term election during the Bill Clinton years, and Republicans were gaining ground nationwide.  Zach Wamp had almost unseated her in 1992, and he never really stopped campaigning after that.  A 1994 race would have been her toughest challenge to date, and I think she was glad to step down without a defeat.  Sure enough, Wamp went on to beat a relatively unknown Democratic opponent, and the GOP has controlled the seat ever since.

Marilyn Lloyd, 1975

I’ve written before about the circumstances that led to Mrs. Lloyd’s unlikely political career.  Her husband Mort Lloyd left his TV news anchor job to give politics a try.  He easily defeated two opponents in the 3rd District Democratic primary in August 1974, and seemed to have momentum on his side to unseat GOP incumbent Lamar Baker in the November general election.

Morty, Marilyn, Mort and Mari Lloyd celebrating his election win, August 6, 1974

But a plane crash just days after that August primary win took his life at the age of 43.  The very next day, Democratic party leaders were tossing around names of potential replacements, with a few heavy hitters making it clear they were available.

Although the newsman’s widow had no prior political experience, she soon made it known she was willing to pick up where her husband left off.  She was 45, and a savvy businesswoman, having run the family’s radio station and aviation company.  She scored a victory over Rep. Baker in November, but some observers chalked it up to a sympathy vote.  They figured after a few months of the relentless travel the job required, this widowed mom of two young children would surely step aside and make way for a seasoned politico.

Of course, that didn’t happen.  A female member of  Congress when it was even more rare than today, she seemed determined to show that she could play hardball with the big boys.  She served under Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and finally Clinton.  Considered a conservative Democrat, she became a walking encyclopedia of  TVA, Oak Ridge, atomic energy, and foreign policy.  A battle with breast cancer almost made her decide to step down in 1988, but as her good health returned, so did her desire to serve.  She made several trips abroad, even to Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War.  Her personal life became more public than she would like, as she remarried, got divorced, and remarried again, often leaving constituents unsure of how to address her.  If someone seemed uncertain, she would smile and say, “Just call me Marilyn.”

I interviewed her numerous times on TV morning shows and newscasts, and she would often appear reluctant, telling me, “You know I’m not a politician.”  Then I would watch her disarm her opponents by rattling off facts and figures, or charm an angry caller with a polite answer and a smile, and I’d say to myself, “Right.  You’re not a politician.”  Over time, she became a very good one.  As she left office in 1995, I interviewed her at her home, and we had a nice conversation you can see by clicking the videos below.  One surprise: which president did she most enjoy working with?  A hint: it wasn’t a fellow Democrat.

A few years ago, I called her to gather some information about her late husband Mort for my “Chattanooga Radio and Television” book.  She gave me the basic details about his background, how he got his first local job at WDEF, and what inspired him to run for Congress (“he wasn’t happy with the way things were going in Washington.”)  But after a few questions, she said, “I can’t tell you everything, I’m writing a book of my own.”  I’m looking forward to reading that book.  She’s had a remarkable life, and I’d love to read her story.

Luther Masingill, Marilyn Lloyd, Marcia Kling and David Carroll, Nov. 2011