Ex-Tennessee state senator dies of heart attack

Former Tennessee state Sen. Frank Niceley, 78, dies of heart attack

by J. Holly McCall, Tennessee Lookout
June 19, 2025

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

The news was first reported by WBIR Knoxville.

Niceley was elected to the state House in 1988, where he served for two terms, before being elected again in 2004. He served there until his election to the Senate in 2012, where he served until 2024 when he was defeated in the Republican primary by Jessie Seal.

A conservative, he sponsored legislation such as a bill to legalize hemp farming, a measure to prohibit health departments from coercing people to get vaccines and a bill to create new public defender positions.

While in office, Niceley was also known for his colorful phrasing and sometimes controversial statements. During his Senate tenure, he argued against outlawing cockfighting, equated toll roads with fascism and once used Adolf Hitler as an example for homeless people.

“The unofficial historian of the Senate, Frank Niceley was a Tennessee original in every possible sense,” said Lt. Gov. Randy McNally in a statement. “Fiercely independent, deeply rooted in his community and unwavering in his convictions, he brought a farmer’s wisdom and a statesman’s heart to public service.”

“A passionate fighter for rural Tennessee and the values he held dear, his passing is a loss to our state and to all who knew and served with him. My prayers are with his family during this difficult time,” McNally said.

A native of Knox County, Niceley graduated from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in soil science.

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.