Former Republican Sen. Frank Neely of Strawberry Plains died of a heart attack on June 19, 2025.

Frank Neely, a Strawberry Plains farmer and businessman who served in both the Tennessee House and Senate, died of a heart attack Thursday.

The news was first reported by WBIR Knoxville.

Nicoley was elected to the State Capitol in 1988 and served two terms before being elected again in 2004. He served in the Senate until 2012, and until 2024 when he was defeated in the Republican primary by Jesse Seal.

The conservative has sponsored laws such as a bill that legalizes hemp farming, measures that would prohibit the health department from enforcing people with vaccines, and bills that would help build new public defense attorney positions.

During his tenure, Neely was also known for his colorful phrases and sometimes controversial statements. During his tenure in the Senate, he made bullfighting conflict illegal, equated with toll roads equivalent to fascism, and opposed the use of Adolf Hitler as an example of the homeless.

“Frank Neely, the unofficial historian of the Senate, was Tennessee’s original in every sense,” Gov. Randy McNally said in a statement. “A fiercely independent, deeply rooted in his community and unwavering in his beliefs, he brought the wisdom of the peasants and the heart of the politicians to the public service.”

“The deceased, a passionate fighter for the Tennessee countryside and the values ​​he cherished, is a loss to our nation and to everyone who served with him. My prayers are with his family during this difficult time,” McNally said.

Neely, a native of Knox County, graduated from the University of Tennessee and received a Bachelor of Arts in Soil Science.