Drexell R. Davis

Drexell R. Davis (July 19, 1921 – December 16, 2009), a Democrat, held several elective offices in Kentucky. He was born Shelby County, Kentucky.

For 100 years (1891–1992) the Kentucky Constitution did not allow any holder of statewide office to succeed themselves for a second consecutive term. As a result, a handful of Kentucky politicians became known as "musical chairs" officeholders because they would run for one statewide office and then another repeatedly. Thelma Stovall, Frances Jones Mills and Drex Davis were the best known musical chairs officeholders. The three often traded offices in given election years through the 1970s and 1980s.

Davis began his career in statewide elective office by winning election as Clerk of the Kentucky Court of Appeals in 1963 on the Democratic ticket headed by Edward T. Breathitt.^[1] (Clerk of the Court of Appeals was a partisan elective office into the 1970s in Kentucky). Davis served as Clerk from 1964–1968. Davis ran for Kentucky State Treasurer in 1967, but lost.^[1]

Davis won election as Kentucky State Treasurer in 1971 on a ticket headed by Wendell H. Ford and served in that office 1972–1976.^[1] He then ran for Secretary of State in 1975 on a ticket headed by Julian Carroll and won, serving 1976–1980.^[1] Davis then ran for State Treasurer again in 1979 on a ticket headed by John Y. Brown, Jr. and won, serving 1980–1984.^[1] Davis' last elective office was Secretary of State of Kentucky, which he won in 1983 on a ticket headed by Martha Layne Collins, serving 1984–1988.^[1]

In 1991 Davis' son Drexell R. Davis Jr. ran for state treasurer but lost in a crowded Democratic primary to Frances Jones Mills who had held the office previously.

Davis died on December 16, 2009 in Frankfort, Kentucky.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Brammer, Jack. Veteran state officeholder Drex Davis dies at 88 Lexington Herald-Leader Retrieved on December 16, 2009.

Further reading

• (PDF) 200 Years of the Kentucky Treasury. Kentucky Treasury Department. 1992. http://treasury.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/33B8669A-F05C-4C5D-B78B-37AC53F39C5C/0/Ky_Treasury_BicentennialHistory17921992.pdf. Retrieved 2009-12-11. 

External links

• Davis' biography from the Kentucky Secretary of State website

Legal offices
Preceded by Doris Owens	Clerk of the Kentucky Court of Appeals 1964–1968	Succeeded by Dick Vermillion
Political offices
Preceded by Thelma Stovall	Kentucky State Treasurer 1972–1976	Succeeded by Frances Jones Mills
Preceded by Thelma Stovall	Kentucky Secretary of State 1976–1980	Succeeded by Frances Jones Mills
Preceded by Frances Jones Mills	Kentucky State Treasurer 1980–1984	Succeeded by Frances Jones Mills
Preceded by Frances Jones Mills	Kentucky Secretary of State 1984–1988	Succeeded by Bremer Ehrler

Persondata
Name	Davis, Drexell R.
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	July 19, 1921
Place of birth
Date of death	December 16, 2009
Place of death