Jim Guy Tucker
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James "Jim" Guy Tucker, Jr. (born 12 June 1943) was a Governor of Arkansas and a member of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas. Tucker resigned the governorship due to a conviction in the Whitewater scandal investigation.
Jim Guy Tucker was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Tucker attended public schools in Little Rock, Arkansas. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University in 1964.
Tucker served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1964 and worked as a free lance reporter in Vietnam during the Vietnam War during 1965 and 1967.
He graduated from the law school at the University of Arkansas in 1968 and was admitted to the Arkansas bar that same year.
Established a private law practice in Little Rock from 1968-1970. Served as Prosecuting Attorney for the Sixth Judicial District of Arkansas from 1971-1972. He was appointed to the Arkansas Criminal Code Revision Commission and served from 1973-1975. Tucker was elected Arkansas Attorney General and served from 1973-1977. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1972.
Tucker was elected as a Democrat to the Ninety-fifth Congress and served from (3 January 1977 - 3 January 1979). In 1978 Tucker gave up his seat in the House to wage an unsuccessful campaign for the United States Senate.
Tucker resumed the practice of law. He intended to run for the Governor's office in 1990 against incumbent Bill Clinton, seeking a fifth term, but withdrew from the primary election to run for the Lieutenant Governor position, recognizing that Clinton had his eyes on the presidency and might not serve a full term. He succeeded to the governorship upon Clinton's resignation on 12 December 1992.
Tucker won re-election in 1994 but was convicted of federal fraud charges in 1996 as part of the Whitewater scandal investigation. Arkansas law prohibits convicted felons from serving as Governor and as a consequence Tucker resigned. As his successor, Mike Huckabee, was preparing to be sworn in Tucker rescinded his resignation on the grounds that his appeals were not complete and that the state constitution was vague about his status as a convicted felon. These events threw the state into a constitutional crisis for a short time. Tucker reinstated his resignation shortly thereafter and left office.
Soon after leaving office Tucker experienced serious health problems from chronic liver disease and nearly died in 1994 from serious gastro-intestinal bleeding. He was sentenced to four years probation due in part to the serious threat to his health posed by his ailment. In 1997 Tucker received a liver transplant at the Mayo Clinic.
Jim Guy Tucker is currently a resident of Little Rock, Arkansas and in recent years has avoided the media spotlight.
| Preceded by : Bill Clinton | Governor of Arkansas 1992-1996 | Succeeded by: Mike Huckabee |