Bryan McLaggen
From Usgovsimulation
| ||||
| 3rd Governor of Appalachia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Office: 2015 - Present Lt. Governor: Scotty LaRue 2016-Present Steven Barton 2015-2016 Julian Williams 2015 | ||||
| Preceded by | Marshall Wagner | |||
| Succeeded by | Incumbent | |||
| Senior Senator of the Bluegrass | ||||
| In Office: 2011 - 2015 Served with Obediah Maysfield | ||||
| Preceded by | Nathaniel Jericho | |||
| Succeeded by | Julian Williams | |||
| Born | July 4, 1976 Kentucky | |||
| Political Party | Democrat | |||
| Spouse | Abigail Thomas (2010 - Present) | |||
| Profession | University Teacher | |||
| Religion | Methodist | |||
Bryan McLaggen is the current Governor of the Appalachia Region and former Bluegrass Senator.
Contents |
Biography
Early Life
Bryan Thomas McLaggen was born to a farmer and his wife in a small Kentucky town. Raised on the farm his family had owned for generations, Bryan moved on to become an educator at a local college before being asked to fill the vacancy in the US Senate by Governor Ellis Forrestal.
Senate
Upon taking the oath of office, McLaggen hit the ground running, introducing measures to end tax breaks for companies who ship jobs overseas and to rebuild our schools and make sure every school has the 21st technology it needs. The highlight of his first years in office was the passing of his 'Honor Our Commitment to Veterans' plan in the Senate which would end the freeze on new enrollment of veterans into the VA healthcare system. McLaggen was the first elected official to endorse Senate Majority Leader Esther Cullen in her campaign for the White House and was a tireless campaigner for her on the trail in 2012. At the same time, McLaggen also faced Bluegrass voters for the first time to earn the right to complete the term of office he was appointed to. Facing off against Tennessee Congressman Mark Darlington, McLaggen barnstormed the Bluegrass with great success, winning all three states of the region and having a 7 point margin of victory. McLaggen began his time as an elected Senator pushing major legislation including reform of Medicare, universal prekindergarten, worker safety measures and prevention of Appalachian wildfires. McLaggen also passed through the Senate a measure to put federal jobs in the areas with the highest unemployment as well as a measure to ensure no federal money can be spend on contracts to companies whose workers are overseas. With the Democrats in the majority, McLaggen was selected to serve as Chairman of the Government Regulations and Commerce Committee where the committee had its most successful session in recent times under his leadership. Near the end of the 2013-2014 session, McLaggen began to explore the option of running for Appalachian Governor. He announced his campaign in early 2014 and never saw real Republican opposition materialize. He was easily elected to office with a resounding victory.
Governor
Bryan McLaggen entered the Governor's office as the Appalachian legislature was at a near stand still. However, under his leadership, his first session as Governor saw a flurry of activity. McLaggen became the first Appalachian governor to pass a budget. His budget created the first surplus in Appalachian history, cut middle class taxes, cut the corporate tax, cut the sales tax, and restored responsible spending. The budget ended up passing with near unanimous consent out of the legislature. McLaggen's first session as Governor also saw his jobs plans passed through the legislature, included a tax break for companies who create new jobs in Appalachia, raising taxes on the companies who outsource Appalachian jobs overseas, put government jobs in high unemployment areas - areas that need the jobs the most, and started a low interest loan fund for small businesses to help them get up and running and creating jobs. McLaggen also passed through legislation that raised the minimum wage and indexed it to inflation, ensured equal pay for equal work, mandated paid lunch and breaks for every worker in Appalachia. He also lowered prescription drug costs through Medicaid. McLaggen ended the session having passed and signed into law more bills than any other previous legislative session in Appalachia history.
Personal Life
McLaggen was married in 2010 to Abigail Thomas of Louisville, Kentucky. Thomas was a local educator that McLaggen met at a state education conference a few years before marriage. They met each other again at a mutual friends Christmas party and began a relationship that led to marriage. McLaggen has one stepson, Nate, 17.
Election Results
| Election | Location | Election | Candidate | Party | % | Candidate | Party | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor Election, 2018 | Appalachia | General | Bryan McLaggen | Democrat | Jack Norment | Republican | |||||
| Governor Election, 2014 | Appalachia | General | Bryan McLaggen | Democrat | 55.1% | Blaine Weller | Republican | 44.9% | |||
| U.S. Senate Elections, 2012 | Bluegrass | General | Bryan McLaggen | Democrat | 54.3% | Mark Darlington | Republican | 45.4% |
*Default victory
Political Succession
| Preceded by Marshall Wagner | Appalachia Governor 2015-Present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by Nathaniel Jericho | Bluegrass Senator 2011-2015 | Succeeded by Julian Williams |
