Jim Tracy, who once served as chairman of NFIB Tennessee’s Leadership Council, died Friday after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 69.

A Shelbyville native, insurance agent and college basketball referee, Tracy was elected to the state senate in 2004. He served in various leadership roles, including chair of the Transportation Committee and as Senate Speaker Pro Tempore under Lt. Gov. Randy McNally.

“Jim Tracy never met a stranger,” McNally said. “He had a remarkable gift for making everyone he encountered feel seen, heard and valued.”

“Jim Tracy was a man with great integrity and boundless energy, and he cared deeply about seeing small business owners succeed,” said NFIB State Director Jim Brown. “NFIB worked closely with Senator Tracy on many efforts to improve conditions for Tennessee’s small businesses, and he sponsored several of our most important bills. He was a delight to be around, and he will be greatly missed.”

Rob Ikard, who served as NFIB State Director during Tracy’s tenure on the Leadership Council, shared the following: “Long before he served in the legislature, Jim Tracy was a steadfast champion of Tennessee’s small businesses. I had the privilege of working with him as chairman of the Leadership Council, where his commitment to entrepreneurs was already unmistakable. From that role, Jim launched a remarkable public service career that left a lasting legacy of support for the engine of Tennessee’s economy. He was an outstanding senator, a trusted friend to small business owners, and a dear friend of mine.”

Tracy ran for Congress twice (2010 and 2014), narrowly losing both races. He served as a Bedford County Board of Education member and chairman, president of the Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber of Commerce and founding member of the Bedford County Economic Development and Tourism committee. He was a member of the Senate Education and State & Local Government committees. Later, he served as the Tennessee State Director of USDA Rural Development.

The NFIB team extends our deepest condolences to his wife Trena and sons Chad, Craig, and Connor.