Diane Black, Jim Tracy among those pursuing positions in Lee administration

Joel Ebert | The Tennessean

Show Caption Hide Caption Tennessee Primary Results: Diane Black concedes the race to Bill Lee Rep. Diane Black spoke at her watch party and said she supports Bill Lee for governor

Lee administration has received nearly 600 resumes

U.S. Rep. Diane Black, who faced Lee in this year's GOP primary, is vying for a post

Former state Sen. Jim Tracy is also angling for a position, some say he's limited by Constitution

Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Diane Black and former state Sen. Jim Tracy are among those angling for a post in Gov.-elect Bill Lee's administration.

Black, who attacked Lee in the waning days of the GOP primary, is a congresswoman from Gallatin and did not seek re-election in order to run for governor.

Three people familiar with the efforts of Black and Tracy told the USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee about their interest in working for Lee.

Lee and his advisers continue to decide who they want to serve and, spokeswoman Laine Arnold said, the incoming administration has received nearly 1,700 submissions for ideas and nearly 600 resumes.

Arnold declined to answer questions about Black and Tracy's pursuits.

“We are pleased with the overall response from across the state with individuals wanting to join Governor-elect Lee’s administration," Arnold said.

Black campaign previously called Lee a moderate

Among the potential hurdles that Black could face is her decision in the Republican primary to attack Lee in several campaign ads and mailers, at one point calling him a "moderate."

"Bill Lee is the kind of Republican who helps Democrats get elected," one ad said, noting Lee's previous campaign contributions to former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry.

In another, Black's campaign noted that Lee also gave money to former Nashville Mayor Phil Bredesen.

"Don't let Bill Lee burn you again," the ad concluded.

During the primary, the Lee Company, which the governor-elect owns, sent Black's campaign a cease-and-desist letter for mailers they had sent out about how the company handled a lawsuit with a veteran.

If Black were to join the Lee administration, some see her as a fit for the Department of Health. Like Lee, Black has opposed calls to expand the state's Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act.

She also maintains close ties to Washington, D.C. as well as the state legislature, where she served for 12 years. But Black's connections to the legislature are somewhat limited — only eight current members of the Senate served when she was there from 2005 to 2010.

A spokeswoman for Black did not respond to a request for comment.

An opponent's appointment to an incoming administration is not without precedent. In 2010, then Gov.-elect Bill Haslam named Bill Gibbons to lead the Department of Safety. Gibbons was one of several Republicans seeking the party's gubernatorial nomination but he dropped out of the race early on due to lack of money.

State Constitution may prohibit Tracy's appointment

Among the positions Tracy could be interested in include the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Transportation.

Tracy currently serves as the state director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development office. He was appointed to the position in November 2017. Prior to resigning from the state Senate, Tracy served as the chairman of the chamber's Transportation Committee.

But under the state constitution, Tracy could face legal hurdles in serving in the Lee administration.

"No senator or representative shall, during the time for which he was elected, be eligible to any office or place of trust, the appointment to which is vested in the executive or the General Assembly, except to the office of trustee of a literary institution," Article II, Section 10 of the Tennessee Constitution states.

Some have interpreted the document to mean that Tracy would be ineligible for an administration appointment until 2020, when his 4-year term would technically end.

Others disagree, saying that the former state lawmaker's term ended when he resigned.

Tracy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Reach Joel Ebert at jebert@tennessean.com or 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29.